Strengthening Families Program

How to access this practice/program?

Visit https://strengtheningfamiliesprogram.org/training/ to review training options.

What is the practice/program? 

The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is a 14-session, evidence-based parenting skills, children’s social skills, and family life skills training program specifically designed for high-risk families. Parents and children participate in SFP, both separately and together. Group Leader Manuals contain a complete lesson for every session. Parents’ and children’s handouts are also provided for every session. There are currently SFP programming for families with children ages Birth-3, 3-5, 6-11,12-16 & 7-17. 

Who is the practice/program for? 

SFP is intended for the whole family unit including parents, teens, and children.  

What outcomes does the practice/program produce? 

• Improve parents’/caregivers’ nurturing skills supportive of their children  
• Improve effectiveness of parents/caregivers discipline practices  
• Improve student coping and stress management skills  
• Reduce substance use and abuse 

What is the evidence? 

Orte, C., Brage, L., March, M., Amer, J., Vives Barceló, M., & Gordaliza, R. (2015). The Strenghtening Families Programme in Spain: A long term evaluation. Children s Services, 10. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-03-2013-0010 

This evaluation examined a culturally adapted version of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP). Families in both the treatment and control groups took a pre and posttest to measure the effectiveness of the adapted SFP program. Results showed that the families in the SFP program had higher family organization, parent-child relationships, and positive parenting in comparison to the control group.  

Gottfredson, D., Kumpfer, K., Polizzi-Fox, D., Wilson, D., Puryear, V., Beatty, P., & Vilmenay, M. (2006). The Strengthening Washington D.C. Families Project: A Randomized Effectiveness Trial of Family-Based Prevention. Prevention Science, 7(1), 57–74. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-005-0017-y 

In this randomized control trial, the effectiveness of the SFP program for families with children between the ages of 7 and 11. After being randomly assigned to 4 groups (child skills training, parent skills training, family skills training, and a minimal treatment control group) the families were given pre and posttest to compare the effectiveness of the SFP program. The results showed that while the effectiveness between the child training, parent training, and family training groups were not drastically different from each other they were statistically significant in a positive direction relative to the control group. In this study the SFP program was shown to have a positive effect on prosocial behaviors and family bonding across all three treatment conditions.  

How is the practice/program implemented? 

SFP can be implemented in schools, community settings, drug treatment centers, family courts and a variety of other settings. SFP trainings for parents and youth should be conducted by a trained facilitator. SFP is typically implemented through separate sessions for parents, children/teens, and joint sessions with whole families to teach the intended skills.  

Who can implement the practice/program? 

SFP trainings for parents and youth should be conducted by a trained facilitator.  

What are the costs and commitments associated with becoming trained in this practice/program? 

Please contact the program for the most recent costs and commitments, as these may change. 

The curriculum for SFP programs for all age ranges can be purchased for $450. The supplemental material ranges from $4 to $35 dollars. The cost to be trained in SFP for ages 7-17 ranges from $2,400 to $3,600. For more information on other trainings and supports see program website.  

What resources are useful for understanding or implementing the practice/program? 

• Website: https://strengtheningfamiliesprogram.org/about/ 
• More details on trainings: https://strengtheningfamiliesprogram.org/training/ 

Rating: Supported 

Secondary components: Positive Youth Development; Building Relationships, Managing Emotions, and Decision-Making Skills; Early Mental Health Prevention and Intervention