P.E.I. to spend $150K on parenting program

The Prince Edward Island government will spend $150,000 on a program that helps parents deal with their childrens behaviour problems.

The money will be spent on training Island doctors, nurses and community groups in the Triple P parenting program, which was developed by the University of Queensland in Australia.

Dr. Rhonda Matters, the provinces chief mental health and addictions officer, said the program will help parents deal with issues early to prevent problems later.

"It provides intervention at all different levels, everything from very minor sort of difficulties or challenges that the majority of parents face, right up through interventions for children who are having much more significant difficulties,"she said.

"The hope is that as we are able to provide intervention earlier and earlier, we'll have fewer children who have significant behavioural problems."

Matters expects the training to begin this fall. The program will also be available online.