Research shows that parents have the most influence on whether or not their child chooses to drink alcohol or use drugs. Parent Up encourages parents to use this influence! When parents CARE, CONNECT, COMMUNICATE and pay CAREFUL ATTENTION, the likelihood of your child engaging in substance use decreases. These actions provide no guarantee, but if implemented consistently and with intention, the likelihood of your child engaging in substance use is much lower.
Together, we can create positive outcomes for our children and reduce the number of drug and alcohol-related consequences. The rules you set, the relationships you build, and the conversations you have about substance use impact the decisions your kids make.
What You’ll Find at Parent Up:
- Why Parent Up? – Learn more about your influence as a parent in the decisions your kids make and why choosing to Parent Up is so important to preventing youth substance use.
- How to Parent Up – Ready to go? Follow Parent Up’s 4Cs model and learn how to implement these strategies in your everyday parenting to help protect your kids against underage drug use.
- Parent Up Drug Topics – Want to learn more about the drugs that are commonly used by teens today? Visit our topic pages on Alcohol, Marijuana, Nicotine, and Prescription Drugs for more information, talking tips, and help.
- Meaningful Meals – Find everything you need to start having more meaningful meals today and capitalize on the mental and emotional benefits for your whole family!
- Tools – Our helpful set of Parent Up tools can help you have more meaningful meals and connections, set expectations, prepare for prom night, better communicate with your child, provide other parents’ insights, and more!
About Parent Up
Parent Up is a messaging campaign coordinated by Tri-County Mental Health Services, Inc. and Northland prevention coalitions dedicated to keeping children safe from the harms of alcohol and other drug use. Our campaign is rooted in evidence-based research and prevention. Decades of studies clearly demonstrate that using alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs is harmful for the developing adolescent brain (for youth and young people under age 25).
Parent Up Insights
A Letter to the Parents of Our 2023 High School Graduates
Dear Parents and Guardians, Graduation is upon us and it’s time to celebrate your child’s accomplishments and achievements! As you prepare to launch your child …
Parent Up advocates that:
- Our teens may be responsible individuals with many life experiences, but their brains are still rapidly developing until about age 25. Alcohol and other drugs are not safe while they continue to grow.
- It is not acceptable for children and teens to consume any amount of alcohol, nicotine, or other drugs.
- Allowing minors to drink or use other drugs puts parents and children at risk of health and legal consequences.
We provide:
- Tools and resources to equip you to care, connect, communicate and pay careful attention to your children from the elementary years through their high school years.
- Outreach in Kansas City, Missouri’s Northland communities to help empower parents to protect their kids from youth substance use.
Our Mission:
We strive to prevent all underage drug use by encouraging parents to care, connect, communicate, and pay careful attention to their children. Since parents have the greatest influence on their children’s decision to not use drugs or alcohol, our mission is to provide parents with the knowledge and resources they need to keep their children safe and healthy.
Our History
Parent Up is a campaign based in Clay, Platte, and Ray counties in and around Kansas City, Missouri. Parent Up strives to eliminate youth substance use. Our campaign has been ongoing since 2012, operating primarily from federal and state prevention grants and funding. The campaign name “Parent Up” originated in Vermont.
