Connect Parent Group at PRPS: Helping parents and teens build stronger bonds

Posted on September 24, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Adolescence brings rapid neurobiological and emotional change, and parents often find themselves reacting to behaviours they don’t fully understand. The Connect Program, offered across Canada and available through Prairie Rose Public Schools (PRPS), gives parents research-backed tools to navigate these years with more confidence and connection.

What is the Connect Program?

Connect is a 10 week education-based program for parents of children between the ages of 8 and 18. Developed by Dr. Marlene Moretti, a professor and Canada Research Chair, in collaboration with government stakeholders and mental health practitioners, this program strengthens attachment security and supports healthy emotional development.

Each weekly session focuses on a specific attachment principle, paired with practical skills and facilitator-led demonstrations. Two trained facilitators run every session, whether delivered in person or online.

Tanya Ridgedale, a PRPS wellness counsellor, explains, “It’s a good way to help parents respond to what children are going through in terms of their brain development and how they’re reacting to things.”

What principles and benefits does Connect teach parents?

Connect covers nine attachment principles over the course of the program, including the idea that “attachment is for life”—the understanding that humans need secure attachment from childhood through adulthood. Rather than prescribing rigid parenting techniques, Connect helps parents recognize why their teen is behaving a certain way and how that behaviour connects to normal development.

Tanya describes the shift many parents experience, saying, “It teaches parents to stop and listen before reacting. As parents, we tend to react sometimes first.”

She adds that the program’s structure makes it stick. “It’s very research based. The goal of Connect is to promote sensitive and effective parenting that, in turn, promotes positive adjustment and healthy autonomy.”

Parents who complete the program often report improved communication, fewer conflict-driven reactions, and a better understanding of their teen’s emotional needs—all of which contribute to calmer, more connected family relationships.

Professionals can become
Connect facilitators

Tanya says, “Connect facilitator training is available to teachers, counsellors, social workers, and other professionals interested in leading sessions. “

Facilitators can go on to lead Connect sessions in schools, community agencies, and mental health settings, extending the program’s reach well beyond a single classroom or district.

Professionals interested in certification and facilitator training details can visit connectattachmentprograms.org for more information.

Join the upcoming PRPS
Connect program

PRPS parents can join a free online 8-week Connect program that will run from September 30 to November 25, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm every Wednesday. Find the QR code and/or registration link on the PRPS Facebook page or the 40 Mile FCSS Instagram page.