The Thrive Initiative is being developed through a collaboration between the Department of Defense’s Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy (DoD MC&FP) and the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness at Penn State (Clearinghouse).
The aim of the DoD MC&FP and the Clearinghouse is to create a series of developmentally-comprehensive, evidence-informed, universal and targeted parenting programs for military and civilian families that is affordable with respect to training and implementation costs. The Thrive Initiative seeks to harness parents’ potential for fostering holistic, community youth development and resiliency throughout childhood and adolescence by focusing on practices and strategies that help to nurture the parent-child relationship and foster positive child development outcomes. In addition, to address the long-term well-being of military and civilian children, parenting practices that promote physical health were a major component of each program.
Positive Parenting Practices
Parent and Child Stress Management
Promoting Child Physical Health
The Clearinghouse proposes to promote positive child outcomes among families by doing the following:
- strengthening positive parenting skills and efficacy;
- teaching parents strategies to manage stress in themselves and their children; and
- introducing foundational skills for promoting healthy lifestyles.
