SFP 10–14 to SFP 12–16: A Seamless 3-Step Transition

Iowa State University ended the Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10–14 (SFP 10-14) on June 30, 2026. If your agency ran SFP 10–14, your families still need support, and your funders may still expect an evidence-based family program.

Dr. Karol Kumpfer developed the original Strengthening Families Program, SFP 6–11, in 1982. In 1993, Dr. Kumpfer and Virginia Molgaard co-authored SFP 10–14 as an adaptation of SFP 6–11, adding a curriculum designed for middle school youth and their families. SFP 6–11 and SFP 12–16 already serve the same families: SFP 6–11 covers children in elementary school and SFP 12–16 covers teens. Together they span every age SFP 10–14 reached.

SFP 10–14 served youth ages 10 to 14. That range falls across two SFP versions. Choose by the child’s developmental age, not birthday. A young 11-year-old may fit best in SFP 6–11; a mature 12-year-old belongs in SFP 12–16. Agencies serving younger siblings can add SFP Birth–3 or SFP 3–5.

What carries over: Your families already know the SFP model of parents and youth learning in separate groups, then practicing together. Your staff already know how to recruit families and run multi-family groups.

What’s different: SFP 6–11 and 12–16 run 14 sessions instead of 7. The extra time lets families practice skills over a full season, and each session starts with a shared family meal.

Same skills, matched to age: SFP 6–11 and SFP 12–16 are both family skills training programs, and both follow the same sequence of the same skills, taught at the child’s developmental level.

• SFP 6–11: Children learn communication, recognizing feelings, problem solving, coping with anger and criticism, and saying no to stay out of trouble. Parents learn stress management, family meetings, behavior programs and consistent, positive discipline.
• SFP 12–16: Teens build peer resistance, problem-solving and communication skills and learn the consequences of substance use and other risky behavior. Parents strengthen supervision, encouragement and family communication.

Start with a call. Tell us who you serve, how many groups you run and where your funding comes from, and we’ll help you plan. Jeanie Ahearn Greene, Ph.D., MSW, SFP Purveyor, is available to meet with you by phone or Zoom. Contact us.

1. Order curriculum. Each site needs an SFP Curriculum Master Set for each version it runs ($450 per set, digital download). Order curriculum.
2. Schedule a training. SFP Group Leader Training is two consecutive days (12 hours) at your site, for up to 20 or up to 35 trainees. Staff who ran SFP 10–14 bring skills that transfer directly. Learn about training.
3. Implement SFP 12–16. Run 14 weekly sessions with your families, using the same SFP format your staff and families already know. Families with younger children can join SFP 6–11. We support implementation, fidelity and evaluation, including evidence summaries, sample budgets and evaluation plans for funders. See evaluation services.

Many SFP 10–14 sites are funded through prevention grants that require an evidence-based program. SFP has been recognized for preventing child maltreatment and parent and youth substance abuse since its development in 1982. If your funder requires an approved program, we’ll provide the documentation you need to request the change. See SFP’s recognitions (PDF).