Parenting program supports children experiencing anxiety and fear
Early intervention
Berry Street’s Positive Parenting Program – or Triple P – is an evidence-based program offering parents simple, practical strategies to build strong, healthy relationships, manage their children’s behaviour and increase family harmony.
As demand for services increased over lockdowns, Triple P started delivering the program online, with participants given resource packs to support learning at home.
Fear Less: New parenting support program
In 2021, Berry Street became the first agency in Australia to deliver Triple P’s ‘Fear Less’ program.
Fear Less is a parenting support program that teaches new cognitive behavioural strategies for anxiety management in children and young people aged 6–14 years. This was especially important as COVID-19 and extended lockdowns impacted families and resulted in more children and young people experiencing higher levels of anxiety and fear.
In total, 289 families were supported by Fear Less via seminars, support groups, and via one-to-one services.
Reduced stress and greater family cohesion
Fear Less has shown promising results, with participants reporting reduced parental stress, shifts in family dynamics and reduced anxiety levels and avoidant behaviour.
Participants also reported that the flexible delivery – such as online sessions at lunchtime – meant they could participate when they otherwise would not have been able to.
The program has also seen increased engagement from fathers. This increases the program’s positive impacts, as it’s been shown that when male parents are supported, it increases the chances of greater family cohesion and consistency from both parents in their approach.
Feedback demonstrates positive impact
Fear Less participant survey feedback demonstrates the program’s impactful results:
- 100% strongly agree or agree that they would recommend the program
- 85% strongly agree that viewing parents as key agents for change was helpful, and that they were better able to handle anxiety
- 85% strongly agree or agree that their ability to handle their child’s anxiety improved
- 71% strongly agree or agree that their child’s anxiety reduced
- 86% strongly agree or agree that their ability to deal with their child’s uncomfortable emotions improved; their confidence in responding to their child’s anxiety improved; and they could set better examples to children of how to manage anxiety
- 100% strongly agree or agree that their ability to encourage emotional resilience in their children improved
- 100% strongly agree or agree that they were satisfied with the program overall
We received our resource pack yesterday and the kids were most pleased with the goodies inside. Thank you for that and for the effort you put into our weekly sessions. I am finding it very helpful; it has developed my awareness further when it comes to my interactions with the kids, their behaviours and my responses. Very grateful to be a part of the group!
Our new Annual Report is here: Reimagining Futures, Creating Impact
Berry Street is pleased to release its Annual Report 2021-22. This year’s report is a powerful testament to the critical difference that our work can make.
We invite you to download our 2021-22 Annual Report to read about how:
- our evidence-based services are delivering a deep impact (from page 12);
- we are continuing to reflect on and celebrate our reconciliation journey (page 16);
- Y-Change is supporting children and young people to lead change in their own right (page 17);
- the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) positively impacted Malak Primary School (page 18).
Terri's goals on track
