A Public-Health Approach to Improving Parenting and Promoting Children's Well-Being

Abstract

Randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses have demonstrated the efficacy of evidence-based parenting programs (EBPPs) to improve social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes for children. Although EBPPs are effective, their reach is limited, and many families that could benefit do not have an opportunity to participate. In this article, we argue for a paradigm shift-from traditional, highly targeted approaches of program delivery to a more inclusive public-health framework that blends universal and targeted elements. The Triple P-Positive Parenting Program is an EBPP that has applied a public-health framework to increase parenting support in communities. The approach seeks to improve the reach of the program while increasing capacity to reduce the prevalence of children's social, emotional, and behavioral problems, as well as of child maltreatment.