DARE to be You is for families with a child aged between 2 and 5 years, with risk factors for later adolescent substance use.

It is delivered by two trained preschool teachers to groups of 12 to 25 families for 10 to 12 weeks over 3 to 4 months, with optional booster sessions. Each session consists in a two-hour workshop for parents, while children and siblings attend their own session at the same time. Parents and children also engage in a 10- to 30-minute activity together and share a family meal.

The parent component focuses on personal and parenting efficacy, stress management, child development, and home management skills based on the four ‘DARE to be You’ principles:

• Decision-making and problem-solving skills
• Assertiveness in communication and conflict management
• Responsibility for one’s behaviour, including internalised control and stress management
• Esteem for oneself (e.g. self-efficacy) and others.

The group activities are designed specifically to improve self-talk, help children define positive characteristics, and validate differences including different developmental levels. Parents also learn about child development and age-appropriate parenting strategies for fostering children’s self-esteem, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.

The child component uses age-appropriate games and activities to promote the same concepts learned by the parents in supporting children’s cognitive development, mastery motivation, social competence, emotional knowledge, decision-making, self-management, and communication skills.

Separate curricula are available for 2- to 3-year-olds and 4- to 5-year-olds.