Collage of families during a Strengthening Families Program graduation.

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How Strengthening Families Program Works

Strengthening Families Program (SFP) serves families with children ages 6 to 11 through local partners in settings that include community centers, schools, and churches. SFP is designed to help families develop positive discipline practices, stay resilient in tough times, reduce conflict, improve parenting skills, and assist children with social skills, relationships, and school performance.

Participants complete a 14-session weekly program. The sessions, which always begin with a family meal, typically last 2½ hours and include parents and children meeting separately to work with group leaders before coming together for shared activities to finish. Participants who successfully complete the program graduate in a celebratory style.

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Reaching those who need it the most

25

funded organizations

1,337

children impacted

33

of 46 counties served

What makes the program work

Coaching

Children’s Trust provides one-on-one support and technical assistance for our local partners.

Two generation strategy

Children ages 6-11 and their parents work on parallel activities, designed to improve family relationships and break generational cycles of dysfunction.

Evidence-based program

Children's Trust implements this proven program and exceeds the national standards of model developer Ahearn-Green Association.

Collage of families during a Strengthening Families Program session.

En Espanol

The program helps Hispanic/Latino families to assimilate the American culture through bilingual sites and sessions.

By reaching Spanish-speaking families in underserved populations, SFP can make a greater impact for all of South Carolina’s residents and broaden diversity and inclusion efforts in South Carolina.

Hispanic family at a strengthening families program graduation in Greenville, South Carolina.

Strengthening Families Program stories

Nicole Folks
Q&A with Strengthening Families Program Manager Nicole Foulks

The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is one of the proven prevention programs Children’s Trust supports. The program helps families by...

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Rhonda Jones and her daughter, Jamiyah.
Parent Leadership Spotlight: Rhonda Jones

Every day, parents across South Carolina work to improve the lives of their families, neighbors and communities. One of those parents is Rhonda...

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Krystal Edwards and her sons, Zayvion, 9, and Zyahire, 11.
National Parent Leadership Month Spotlight: Krystal Edwards

February is Parent Leadership Month, and we are celebrating parents across South Carolina who work to improve the lives of their families...

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Public-private partnership at work for South Carolina's children

Our funding partners have fueled its rapid expansion. We started in 2014 in four counties. Today, there are 28 providers now running the program in 36 counties.

For more information

Nicole Foulks, MSW, Ph.D.
Strengthening Families Program Manager