Corey Parker says ‘it’s okay’ to ask for parenting help

Rugby league legend Corey Parker is behind a push calling on mums and dads in Queensland to seek parenting help or advice.

Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman said more than 70 Triple P seminars will be held across Queensland over the coming months, from Dalby to Bentley Park in Cairns, including Bowen and Mackay in the Mackay-Whitsunday region.

The successful program is the brainchild of world-renowned parenting expert Professor Matt Sanders and his Triple P team.

The Palaszczuk Government has provided $6.6 million to give families across the state free and universal access to the program.

Ms Fentiman said the government was proud to fund Triple P to provide free and universal parenting support across the state and give Queensland parents and care-givers advice and a helping hand.

“In a year, we’ve seen almost 30,000 Queenslanders access the program,” she said.

“This means thousands of families have new tips to help them raise happy, confident children, balance work and family and respond to challenging child and teen behaviours that may occur.”

Rugby league great, father of four and Triple P Ambassador Corey Parker said there was no shame in seeking parenting help, tips and support.

“Kids are amazing and bring so much joy to our lives, but it doesn’t mean that parenting is always easy,” he said.

“In fact, it can be one of the most frustrating and challenging jobs at times.

“Learning as much as you can through Triple P about how to raise a happy, resilient family so you can prevent small issues from becoming major problems can make parenting a lot easier.

“Thousands of parents have benefited from Triple P – including me.

“As I embark on a new stage of my life after retiring from professional rugby league, I’m looking forward to creating a new game plan for my family using the tips we’ve learnt from Triple P so we can tackle any challenges that might arise in the future.”

It comes as a new free program is launched to support young mums and young pregnant women with parenting advice and support at Deception Bay, north of Brisbane.

Ms Fentiman said Triple P sessions will be implemented specifically for young mums and mums-to-be, with valuable tips and advice tailored to their situation to help them raise happy, confident and healthy children.

“All parents can benefit from a Triple P session and this certainly applies to young mums and young pregnant women who may not have a lot of experience with babies or children and might be trying to balance their parenting role and continuing their education,” she said.

“Deception Bay State High School will partner with local Triple P providers to implement these sessions as part of their Aspire program for pregnant young women and teen mums,” she said.

“It can be very challenging for teen mums to continue their education, but I’ve seen first-hand young mums with the courage and desire to make a better life for their children.

“The Triple P sessions will provide another level of support for these young women.”

Ms Fentiman said more than 30 organisations and agencies across the state had signed up since July 1 to deliver Triple P sessions to Queensland mums, dads and caregivers.

Go to www.triplep-parenting.net  to find out more about the free seminars, group programs and one-to-one sessions on offer. More sessions added all the time.

Parents can also sign up through the website to do Triple P Online for free.

Media Contact:                                  Minister Fentiman’s office                  0400 774 303