Positive Parenting Programme

(Web Content revised 05/2024)

Positive Parenting Programme (3P) is an evidence-based parenting programme developed by the University of Queensland, Australia. The Department of Health (DH) introduced and implemented this programme in Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs). The programme evaluation revealed a significant reduction on parental reports of child behavioural problems, improved parenting skills and parental confidence, and better marital relationship upon programme completion. All facilitators have completed professional training and accredited to deliver the 3P programme.

Aims

The programme introduces the principles of positive parenting and helps parents to use positive communication skills and effective discipline methods to manage children's behavioural problems in constructive and non-hurtful ways.

3P aims to help parents raise healthy and happy children:

  • Encourage good behaviour
  • Manage children's misbehaviour
  • Enhance parenting skills
  • Increase parental confidence

Target participants

Parents/ Caregivers:

  1. The child is aged between 2.5 and 5 years old; and
  2. Keen to learn more about and apply positive parenting; or have difficulties in parenting or disciplining their children

Outline of content

4 weekly classroom teaching sessions of 2-2.5 hours each; 3-4 phone follow-up sessions of 15-30 minutes each; or a group reunion of around 2 hours may be held in the last session.

Session 1

  • Positive parenting including introducing 5 principles of positive parenting, identifying factors that affect child's behaviour and setting goals for changing child and parent's behaviour

Session 2

  • Helping children develop including strategies for building good relationship with the child, for encouraging good behaviour and teaching new skills

Session 3

  • Managing misbehaviour including the use of positive disciplinary strategies and routines for managing behaviours

Session 4

  • Planning ahead including identifying high-risk situations and setting up, implementing and evaluating planned activities

Session 5-7

  • Individual phone follow-up sessions to implement positive parenting practices

Session 8

  • Group reunion session; some groups may have individual phone follow-up instead.

Format

  1. The programme is delivered in small groups in Cantonese.
  2. Class activities include lectures, videos, group discussions and sharing, role-plays and homework, etc.
  3. Participants are required to complete questionnaires at the beginning and end of the programme to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme, and the contents will be kept confidential.
  4. Parents who achieve 75% attendance will receive a certificate as an encouragement.

Notes for participants

  1. 3P facilitators will call the participants to know more about the general situation of the families before the group begins.
  2. To ensure the progress and effectiveness of the programme, participants are encouraged to actively take part in the class activities, attend all class and phone follow-up sessions, and complete homework assignments.
  3. Please inform the concerned MCHCs as soon as possible if participants are unable to attend any sessions.
  4. If participants are unable to attend the first session, they have to enrol in another group of 3P.
  5. In case of under-enrolment, MCHCs will inform participants to make alternative arrangements.
  6. Childcare service is not available in the MCHCs. Please do not attend the group with children.
  7. Please bring along the child's immunisation record for registration in each session.

For enrolment:

  1. Contact the registered MCHCs of your child or those MCHCs conducting the programme in person/ by phone(http://s.fhs.gov.hk/d5fqn)
  2. Enrol online directly via the Family Health Service (FHS) website (http://s.fhs.gov.hk/rp84x)

The FHS of the DH organises public talks for parents-to-be, and parents with infants and/or pre-schoolers. Topics include pregnancy, children's physical and mental health development and care, parenting, woman mental health, etc. Talks are delivered in Cantonese by various professionals. You are welcome to register for the talks on the FHS website (http://s.fhs.gov.hk/b8gu2) or directly at MCHCs.