Thrive Initiative Programs Available Online

The programs listed below are now available at no cost for parents.
Click the program name to begin.

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A better way to access the available THRIVE resources is coming soon!

Resourceful Parents. Resilient Children. Ready Families.

The Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State in partnership with the Department of Defense’s Office of Military Community and Family Policy is implementing the THRIVE Initiative to empower parents as they nurture their children from the prenatal period until their children reach 18 years of age. The Initiative includes a series of face-to-face and online parenting programs and a range of online resources and interactive learning modules. Each THRIVE program guides parents in learning and using parenting and health promotion skills that are based on science. By supporting parents as they learn and practice effective strategies for raising healthy children, THRIVE fosters Resourceful Parents, Resilient Children, and Ready Families!

The initiative consists of four age-specific universal parenting programs: Take Root, Sprout, Grow, and Branch Out, and two targeted parenting programs for at-risk and high-needs populations: Take Root Home Visitation and Grow Selective

For parents of children 0 to 3 years

Having a baby is exciting, yet parenting an infant can also be confusing and stressful. Take Root is a universal parenting program that contains three age tracks (i.e., Take Root 0 to 6 months, Take Root 6 to 12 months, and Take Root 1 to 3 years) and serves to support parents from pregnancy through the first 3 years of their child’s life. Each segment contains three overarching sections, Through Your Eyes, Through Your Babies Eyes, and Figuring It Out Together.

For parents of children 5 to 10 years

The Grow parenting program, a universal program designed to help parents of 5- to 10-year-olds, helps parents learn positive parenting techniques, stress management strategies, and health promotion skills that can be used to help children be happy and healthy. Grow is available in online and face-to-face formats. Grow online contains eight interactive sessions and includes parent resources and take-home skill practices. Grow face-to-face contains five 90-minute, weekly sessions that are led by a facilitator.

For parents of children 10 to 18 years

During adolescence, youth need their parents’ attention and support more than ever. With so many changes and transitions happening during adolescence, this phase of life is a time of excitement and anxiety―for youth and their parents. Branch Out is designed to support mothers and fathers in their parenting roles as they, in turn, nurture their child as he or she transitions from childhood to adulthood. Branch Out is currently in development and will be delivered in an online format.

This material is the result of a partnership funded by the Department of Defense between the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy and the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture through a grant/cooperative agreement with Penn State University.

Resourceful Parents. Resilient Children. Ready Families.

Latest Blogs

Universal Parenting Programs

For parents of children 0 to 3 years

For parents of children 3 to 5 years

For parents of children 5 to 10 years

For parents of children 10 to 18 years

Parenting Programs for At-Risk and High-Needs Populations

Take Root Home Visitation

Grow Selective