The Parenting Skills Intervention series hosted by The Next Step Behavioral Health aims to promote the well-being of children and adolescents through improving parents’ stress management skills, positive parenting practices, and strategies for supporting children and adolescents with psychosocial needs.

It is adapted from the International Rescue Committee’s Families Make the Difference program.

This program was developed on the premise that every parent and child deserves to have a healthy, mutually enjoyable relationship that fosters optimal child growth and development. It is focused on preventing and decreasing violence against children in the home and improving positive developmental outcomes for children in developing contexts and conflict settings, with a particular interest in investing in young children. As part of this intervention, parents and caregivers receive the following information through discussion, skills practice and handouts:

• How children’s brains develop within the context of relationships.

• Ways to promote children’s positive development and behavior through positive attention and play.

• Ways to decrease children’s misbehavior.

• The effect of household violence and stress on children’s development and ways of decreasing parental stress and anger.

• School readiness.