Strengthening Families is a free program dedicated to empowering families and improving relationships.

The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) is a powerful program for family changes because it involves not just the parents or the children alone, but the whole family. This prevention program is offered to parents who are caring for a child between the ages of 6 and 14, and was developed to serve families with high-risk children. It has been highly effective in improving parent-child relationships.

SFP meets once a week for 11 to 14 weeks. Each meeting consists of separate one-hour parent and child skills training classes, followed by a session in which individual families work together on the skills they are learning. Parents learn a variety of topics such as effective use of attention and rewards, clear and consistent communication, useful discipline techniques, ways to problem solve, and how to set limits. Children learn problem solving skills, how to identify and express their feelings, how to resist using drugs and alcohol, and how to cooperate with other family members. As a whole, families will work together to increase cooperation, improve communication skills, plan and organize family activities, and talk about sensitive issues and family concerns.

Session information

We offer two SFP sessions: one for families with children ages 6 to 11 and one for families with children ages 11 to 14. Each program is uniquely designed to address the issues most pressing to youth and their families. In addition to weekly classes, individual sessions can be scheduled to offer further assistance.

Groups are usually held in the evening to fit families' schedules. We provide a free meal to families before each group. For children who do not fit the age requirements, we offer several mentoring programs which teach empathy building, problem solving, anger management, and drug refusal skills. We also offer free childcare for infants and toddlers. Transportation can be arranged for Buncombe County residents if necessary. There is no charge for this program.

For more information, contact Strengthening Families Program at (828) 251-9400 or (828) 778-5110.