The Ministry of Justice welcomes the re-launch of the Positive Parenting Support Program (PPSP) through a one-year Bridging Project coordinated by the Judicial and Institutional Services Foundation (J&IS), running from August 2026 through July 31, 2027.
The re-launch marks the return of the Positive Parenting Support Program and reflects a shared commitment across the Ministries of Justice; Education, Culture, Youth and Sport; and Public Health, Social Development and Labor to strengthen families, protect children and prevent problems from escalating.
The Positive Parenting Support Program was developed in 2022 and officially launched in 2024 through collaboration among government departments, with support from UNICEF Netherlands. It was designed specifically for Sint Maarten following local research and consultation with parents, young people, educators and child-protection partners.
PPSP gives parents, caregivers and professionals practical tools to strengthen communication, manage behavior, set healthy boundaries and guide children without violence or humiliation. The program includes age-appropriate modules for families raising children and teenagers.
Supporting parents is essential to child protection and community safety. Parents and caregivers need access to practical guidance before family stress, violence, school problems or risky behavior become more serious. Strong families give children a better chance to develop safely, manage conflict, and make healthy choices.
With support from Samenwerkende Fondsen Cariben, J&IS will coordinate the PPSP Bridging Project while the long-term government structure for the program is being prepared.
Eighteen Master Trainers and 58 Facilitators were previously trained, assessed and certified through PPSP in collaboration with the University of the West Indies Global Campus and the UWI/PPC technical team. The project will reactivate and strengthen the PPSP network.
The Master Trainers will first complete a refresher focused on coaching, supervision, and quality standards. They will then lead the refresher training for Facilitators. Only
trained and cleared Facilitators will be assigned to deliver PPSP parent courses. Master Trainers will provide ongoing coaching and quality support throughout implementation.
The National child Protection Platform, NCPP, will support project coordination, child-protection alignment, and long-term sustainability. The NCPP steering group consists of representatives of the Department of Youth and Student Support Services Division within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport; the Department of Social Development and the Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs Division, CDFHA, within the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor; the Court of Guardianship within the Ministry of Justice; and J&IS. The program is expected to transition to the Family Affairs Unit within CDFHA, which will assume the long-term government lead for PPSP implementation and funding.
Parents, grandparents, foster parents, guardians, caregivers, and professionals working with children are encouraged to participate in the upcoming PPSP courses and activities. Positive parenting does not mean being a perfect parent. It means being willing to learn practical skills that help children feel safe, respected, understood, and guided as they grow and develop.
Information on refresher training, registration and parent-course opportunities will be shared shortly through J&IS and its partner organizations.
For more information, contact Judicial and Institutional Services Foundation at +1-721-542-3449, +1721 585-0281, email ppsp@sjis-sxm.org or visit www.jis-sxm.org.
