FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
Why is this important?
​
Positive family relationships help children feel secure and loved, which gives them the confidence to explore their world, try new things. Navigating familial relationships can make it easier for your family to solve problems, resolve conflict, and respect differences of opinion.
​
Family cohesion is defined as the degree of togetherness or closeness or emotional bonding that family members have toward one another.
The family has the power to help youth get back on course after problems emerge, but that the family can also play a critical role in preventing youth problems by reducing the severity of a problem. This is why it’s worth maintaining and improving the relationships you share with your children and other family members. There are plenty of simple ways and programs out there to help you develop positive family relationships.
Recommended Programs Providing In-Person Parent Training:
Positive Parenting programs
Triple P
Directed by: Tony Yadon in Stockton and Manteca
Offers a variety of groups for parents (young children, teens, and co-parenting families).
​
Through the Positive Parenting Program (Triple P), Parents by Choice offers parenting groups designed to reduce stress and improve the atmosphere of your home at no cost.
Triple P doesn't tell adults how to parent. Rather, it introduces simple and practical strategies parents can adapt to suit their own values, beliefs, and needs.
In this program, you will learn skills and techniques that you can put into practice right away!
The information in the Positive Parenting Program is evidence-based, which means it has been used with a variety of families and has been proven to work.
​
Learn more at:
Families Matter
Keep Connected: A Family Engagement Program by Search Institutue
Targeted towards ages 1-18 years-old. Different programs for different ages.
​
Search Institute approaches family engagement, support, education, and empowerment through the twin lenses of strengths and relationships. These strategies are relevant across multiple sectors, as they start with families’ realities, not organizational agendas. We propose that: Tapping and nurturing families’ strengths—even in the midst of crisis and challenges—is a powerful path toward resilience, growth, and contribution. These strengths include the diverse cultures, experiences, and values that are integral to who families are and what matters to them.
Strengthening relationships within and around families is the foundation of trust, engagement, and active participation. Relationships within families tap families’ deepest longings.
Reframing Family Engagement: The challenges and barriers to engaging families demand rethinking our approach to family engagement in schools and organizations.
Learn more at:
Recommended Programs Providing In-Person Child-Parent Classes:
Strengthing Families Progam:
for parents and youth
Developed by: Dr. Karol Kumpfer
​
Strengthing Families Program is an evidence-based, internationally recognized parenting and youth life-skills training program that parents and children attend together.
SFP is for all families – not just at-risk families.
Targets ages 7-17 years old.
​
SFP emphasizes the parenting skills of Bonding, setting Boundaries, and Monitoring, and is designed for all parents who need to improve family relationships and develop a family prevention program to keep their kids safe from alcohol and drug use. It is, however, specifically created to correct the Risk Factors (below) in a child’s life that can lead to substance abuse or mental illness (now recognized as a developmental disorder).
​
Learn more at:
The Incredible Years Series
Developed by: Carolyn Webster-Stratton, M.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist
​
Targeted towards school-age children 6-12 years old. Does have other programs for younger children.
​
The Incredible Years Series is a set of interlocking, comprehensive, and developmentally based programs targeting parents, teachers, and children.
The training programs that compose the Incredible Years Series are guided by developmental theory on the role of multiple interacting risks and protective factors in the development of conduct problems. The programs are designed to work jointly to promote emotional, social, and academic competence and to prevent, reduce, and treat behavioral and emotional problems in young children.
​
The parent programs focus on strengthening parent-child interactions and attachment, reducing harsh discipline, and fostering parents’ ability to promote children’s social, emotional, and language development. In the preschool and school-age programs parents also learn how to encourage school readiness skills and are encouraged to partner with teachers so that they can promote children’s academic as well as social skills and emotional literacy.
The long term goal is ultimate to reduce school drop out, delinquent behaviors, and promote academic success.
​
Learn more at:
Recommended Programs Available Online:
Famileies and Communities:
Family Living Programs
By recognizing and ensuring that the needs of people from diverse backgrounds are addressed in its educational and community-based programs, Family Living promotes a culture of inclusiveness that respects all people.
Family Living’s unique and effective programs are developed using university research.
Extension educators based in every county and on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus have a direct link to university resources, allowing them to draw from and contribute to current research about families.
Creating strong families that serve as the foundation for community life by enhancing family relationships, parenting, child development, and the community institutions that promote family well-being.
All families need support and resources to develop skills at critical points in their lives. Family Living works to meet these needs by, helping communities explore effective responses to issues affecting families such as poverty, childhood obesity, prevent of child abuse, financial security, and aging. Serving as catalysts for positive change by providing leadership to ensure that community systems, services, and facilities support the healthy functioning of families.
Increase knowledge about health, access to safe, nutritious food, and parenting practices.
Learn more at: