YORKTON – SIGN’s Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) is celebrating 10 years of operation in the city, reaching thousands of families with parenting support and guidance.
“We started in 2015. This year is going to be our 10th year anniversary so we are planning some activities that we’re very excited to share with the families in the community that have been part of our history,” said Alejandra Barron, Program Manager with Triple P.
Triple P provides a broad range of parenting programs, from advice on potty training to strategies for navigating teenage communication. It also offers specialized support for parents of children with conditions such as anxiety or ADHD—challenges that can add complexity to parenting.
“We offer those in person but also virtually,” said Barron, adding, “we can do things here and we can also go out there.”
The program has extended its services beyond Yorkton, reaching communities such as Foam Lake, Qu’Appelle, Springside, Preeceville, Sturgis and Esterhazy among others. Triple P also works with inmates in correctional facilities, offering full-day workshops to help reconnect them with their children.
“They haven’t had the chance to be with their families for a long time sometimes. We share some information with them about strategies on how to parent—how to build a relationship with your kids—because some of them probably didn’t have the chance to meet their kids. How to re-connect with them, how to build that relationship from scratch—that’s the foundation and one of the most important principles for Triple P," said Barron.
The program has collaborated with the East Central Newcomers Welcome Centre, recognizing that parenting approaches differ across cultures. Barron said adapting to Canadian parenting norms can be a challenge for newcomers.
“Sometimes your approach to parenting comes from your culture, your family, your values and how you were parented,” said Barron, “for those families who are new to Canada, it might not be the same approach, it can be very different from what they’re used to or what they know. So coming into Canada can be a little bit challenging in that way so we help and offer some supports.”
Triple P has worked with more than 1,900 families over the past decade, offering both group sessions and one-on-one consultations. Barron described the program’s resources as tools that parents can add to their “toolbox” to use when needed.
“You keep adding to your toolbox and if you need them, you have them along the way while your kids are growing,” said Barron.
Facilitator Sarah Greensides, who previously worked as a high school teacher, said she wishes she had known about Triple P earlier in her career.
“I was an educator, high school teacher for 15 years, and I would continually hear from the parents, ‘I don’t know what to do,’” said Greensides, adding, “I—as an educator—had no idea about Triple P, and if I had, I would have been sending so many parents this way.”
Triple P is a globally recognized program developed at the University of Queensland in Australia. Greensides emphasized that parenting classes aren’t just for families facing challenges.
“It doesn’t have to be a program you attend just because you feel like you’re having challenges—you’re going to learn strategies that will just be good for your toolbox,” added Greensides.
To mark its milestone anniversary, Triple P is planning several events, including an art contest for families in Yorkton and Fort Qu’Appelle. The top 10 winners will receive $100 and be featured in a Triple P colouring book.
Triple P will also host a stakeholder and family event in September.
“Those are going to be our big events to celebrate,” said Barron.
Registration and information on Triple P programs are available at Triple P's .
