History and overview
The inaugural Helping Families Change Conference (HFCC) was held in Brisbane in 1995 and was attended by a handful of delegates – almost entirely from Australia. The conference was commissioned by the Parenting and Family Support Centre at The University of Queensland who initiated the event as a means of increasing information sharing about the Triple P—Positive Parenting Program. The impetus behind the conference was to provide an opportunity for Triple P researchers to showcase their latest findings, many of which were subsequently published in leading peer reviewed scientific publications. Research underpinning new developments and program variants of the Triple P system were also presented and discussed by researchers, policy makers and service providers.
The conference has continued to experience growth, both in reputation and attendance. While research relating to the evaluation, implementation and dissemination of Triple P as a leading evidence-based parenting program is still the core of the conference, it now has a broader focus looking at overarching themes and trends within both the behavioural family intervention framework, and implementation science in general.
The Helping Families Change Conference is now a leading international evidence-based scientific conference event covering issues, strategies, and innovations related to parenting and family interventions. The conference is of interest to practitioners, policy makers and researchers working with families in the health, education and welfare sectors, and to graduate students with an interest in child and family issues. Those attending will be presented with state-of-the-art knowledge, contribute to debate, and engage in hands-on practice with leaders in the field of family intervention.
Since 1995, the conference has been held in numerous cities globally, including: Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne (Australia); Auckland (NZ); Los Angeles, Santa Rosa and Charleston (USA); Toronto and Banff (Canada); Braunschweig (Germany); Antwerp (Belgium); Glasgow (Scotland); and Amsterdam (The Netherlands).
The HFCC is held across a 3-day period from Wednesday to Friday, typically in early-to mid-February. The three day conference includes world-class keynote speakers, symposia, workshops, posters, and a Masterclass for practitioners and researchers. A highlight of the program is the gala dinner which is held on the Thursday night of the conference.
The 20th Biennial HFCC will be held in 2020 in Brisbane, Australia.
Disclosure statement
The Triple P – Positive Parenting Program is owned by the University of Queensland. The University through its main technology transfer company, UniQuest Pty Ltd, has licensed Triple P International Pty Ltd to publish and disseminate the program worldwide. Royalties stemming from published Triple P resources are distributed to the Parenting and Family Support Centre; School of Psychology; Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences; and contributory authors. Various staff and students from The University of Queensland are contributory authors. No author has any share or ownership in Triple P International Pty Ltd.