Parenting Support

Families will require support when faced with problems they are unable to overcome on their own. Ideally support should come from existing networks, such as extended family, religious leaders, and neighbours. Where such support is not available or sufficient, additional family and community services are required. Such services are particularly important for kinship, foster and adoptive caretakers, and child headed households in order to prevent separation and address abuse and exploitation of children. It is also vital for children affected by HIV/AIDS and armed conflict, and those children living on the street.

Parenting support services are typically provided by social and community paraprofessionals. They focus on the individual needs of a child or family, in order to address and overcome issues which may lead to family separation or harm to the child. Such services should be provided within the context of case planning, beginning with an assessment of the child and family situation. By assessing the need first, an appropriate set of services can be offered, such as day care provision, parenting support, household economic strengthening, or psychosocial referral.

Day care services are particularly important for caretakers who are overwhelmed as a result of ill health, cannot provide adaquate care because they need to work, or who are isolated within the community. It provides an excellent opportunity for children to socialise with others, and can offer additional protection and education.

Parenting support provides caretakers with an opportunity to talk about their difficulties, and learn additional techniques for meeting their child’s developmental and relationship needs. It can enable caretakers to cope with behavioural problems, and address abusive parenting techniques, thereby reducing the need for family separation and improving the incidence of successful family reunification.

The literature in this section contains information on family support programmes for vulnerable children, including day care and parenting support.

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Enhancing Paternal Engagement in a Coparenting Paradigm

Marsha Kline. Pruett, Kyle D. Pruett, Carolyn P. Cowan, Philip A. Cowan - Child Development Perspectives, 13 Jun 2017

In this article, researchers summarize what is known about engaging fathers in parenting programs, then argue that programs are most effective when coparenting is the focus early in family formation.

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State of the World’s Fathers 2017: Time for Action

Brian Heilman, Ruti Levtov, Nikki van der Gaag, Alexa Hassink, and Gary Barker, with contributions from Wessel van den Berg - MenCare, 09 Jun 2017

Produced by MenCare, the second State of the World's Fathers report provides a worldwide analysis of fatherhood and caregiving. Drawing on global research and statistics, this report serves as an advocacy tool for MenCare's global fatherhood campaign and proposes a call to action for policy and practice around the world.

Join the Movement: Time for Action

MenCare & Inter-Agency Group, 08 Jun 2017

This video from MenCare Campaign describes the campaign's efforts in over 40 countries to overcome stigma, gender discrimination, and violence and empower men to become equal partners in caring for children.

From Assessment to Graduation: Comprehensive Case Management for Vulnerable Children and Households – The Score Project in Uganda

Suzanne Andrews - 4Children/CRS, 01 Jun 2017

This case study describes the case management system developed by the Sustainable Comprehensive Responses for Vulnerable Children and their Families (SCORE) project in Uganda.

Programmes in practice: “Parenting for Lifelong Health” with Dr. Jamie M. Lachman

Better Care Network, 31 May 2017

In this webinar, Care to Practice's Lucy Hillier speaks to Jamie Lachman, founder and director of Clowns Without Borders South Africa, about the “Parenting for Life Long Health” programme being implemented in several countries in the Eastern and Southern Africa region.

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Maternal substance use and child protection: a rapid evidence assessment of factors associated with loss of child care

Martha Canfield, Polly Radcliffe, Sally Marlow, Marggie Boreham, Gail Gilchrist - Child Abuse & Neglect, 25 May 2017

This article reviews the literature on the factors associated with mothers who use substances losing care of their children.

Effectiveness of family group conferencing in preventing repeat referrals to child protective services and out-of-home placements

Tyler W. Corwin, Erin J. Maher, Lisa Merkel-Holguin, Heather Allan, John D. Fluke - University of Colorado School of Medicine, 23 May 2017

This randomized control trial study used an intent-to-treat approach to examine whether a referral to a family group conference (FGC) was associated with re-referrals, substantiated re-referrals, or out-of-home placements among child welfare-involved families receiving in-home services.

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How do caregivers understand and respond to unsettled infant behaviour in Vietnam? A qualitative study

L. Murray, T. Tran, V. V. Thang, L. Cass, J. Fisher - Child: care, health and development, 16 May 2017

This study aimed to describe caregivers' understandings of, and responses to, unsettled infant behaviours in Vietnam and their family caregiving contexts.

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Country Care Review: Canada

Better Care Network , 08 May 2017

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the seventeenth session (20 Mar 2017 – 12 Apr 2017) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Country Care Review: Cyprus

Better Care Network , 08 May 2017

This country care review includes the care-related Concluding Observations adopted by the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities during the seventeenth session (20 March 2017 - 12 April 2017) of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.