Incredible Years® Parenting Programs


The Incredible Years® evidence based parenting programs focus on strengthening parenting competencies and fostering parent involvement in children’s school experiences, to promote children’s academic, social  and emotional skills and reduce conduct problems. The parenting programs are grouped according to age: babies (0-12 months), toddlers (1-3 years), preschoolers (3-6 years), and school age (6-12 years).

View Extended Program Previews here!

  • Parent groups are delivered in 12-20 weekly group sessions of 2-3 hours
    (specific length varies depending on which parent program is being implemented).
  • Group sessions focus on: strengthening parent-child interactions, nurturing relationships, reducing harsh discipline, and fostering parents’ ability to promote children’s social, emotional, and language development.
  • Preschool and School Age Parent groups encourage parents as they learn to promote school readiness skills.
  • Parents are encouraged to partner with teachers and be involved in children’s school experiences to promote children’s academic and social skills, emotional self-regulation, and to reduce conduct problems.
  • There are also parent program protocols for use as a prevention program or as a treatment for children with conduct problems and/or ADHD.

Comprehensive Leader’s manuals for the programs include:

  • Questions to promote discussion for each video vignette
  • Brainstorming and values exercises
  • Role play practice exercises
  • Home activities, handouts, and key points

Additionally, there are Home Visiting/Self Study protocols that can be purchased for the Baby, Toddler, Preschool Basic, and School Age Basic programs. These home visiting manuals may be purchased separately.

The Incredible Years® evidence based parenting programs are recommended by the American Psychological Association Task Force as meeting the stringent “Chambless criteria” for empirically supported mental health intervention for children with conduct problems. Please see the Awards and Recognition page for further recommendations.

Incredible Years® Around the World


Incredible Years® Parent Program Participant Reflections (7 Videos)

#1 How does the Incredible Years® Parent Program work for Head Start families?


#2 What do parents learn about the foundation of the Parent Program?


#3 What do parents have to say about their experiences with the Incredible Years® Parent Program?


#4 What do parents learn about discipline?


#5 What methods do Incredible Years® Group Leaders use to work with parents?


#6 What are the outcomes of Incredible Years® Parenting Groups?


#7 Does the Incredible Years® Parenting Program work with other cultures?