Parenting toolkit

Strong family relationships are one of the best protections for children as they grow up.

What are parenting programs?

Parenting programs build parents’ and carers’ knowledge, skills and confidence and strengthen relationships between parents and their children. They’re usually for families with children aged up to 16, and they include grandparents, step-parents, foster parents and other carers as well as parents.

Parenting programs improve parenting practices and child development, which helps prevent alcohol and other drug harm and improves a range of health and social outcomes. They build protective factors such as a sense of belonging in the family, parents’ involvement in their children’s lives, family routines and celebrations, a caring relationship with at least one adult, and clear family rules about alcohol. You can read more in prevention strategies.

Parenting programs in Australia

• Triple P - Positive Parenting Program: developed in Australia and backed by decades of research, with programs for parents of children of all ages. Triple P Online is free for Australian families with children under 12.

For parents of teenagers, the Supporting teenagers toolkit focuses on talking with teens about alcohol and other drugs.

How Local Drug Action Teams use it

Local Drug Action Teams use this toolkit to help parents and carers in their community find and take part in parenting programs. They do this by promoting programs that already run locally, helping parents attend, arranging for local people to be trained to deliver programs, and sharing information through places parents already go, such as sporting clubs, cultural groups and online. Programs can be adapted to suit different cultures and languages, and can run face-to-face, online or by phone. ADF’s Parenting Module, developed and piloted with Local Drug Action Teams, guides them step by step through planning and delivering a program.

Where it fits in the LDAT program

Local Drug Action Teams use this toolkit as part of their Community Action Plan (CAP).

How Local Drug Action Teams are responding

• Huon Valley LDAT ARVOS: supervised, alcohol- and drug-free activities for young people and their families in southern Tasmania’s Huon Valley.
• Building knowledge and connection: the Northern LDAT’s Fundi Homework Club in Melbourne’s north helps young people with their studies and builds connection between parents and children.
• LDAT and Planet Youth: Local Drug Action Teams using the Icelandic Planet Youth model, which works closely with parents and families.

The full toolkit gives Local Drug Action Teams practical guidance, including:

• evidence-based parenting programs LDATs can draw on, including ADF’s Parenting Module
• guiding principles for creating resources and reaching parents in different settings and languages
• considerations for planning and delivery, including choosing the right age group, delivery options, access, training, quality and cultural adaptation
• key activities and measuring success
• key steps, from finding partners to strengthening existing programs, linking families to quality programs and promoting them.

If you’re part of a Local Drug Action Team, you can use the full toolkit on the LDAT platform.

Last reviewed: 4 November 2026