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.

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Melissa Kearney, Alden Barson,

This paper outlines a research agenda to guide the initial stages of work of the new Notre Dame Strengthening Families (NDSF) Research Initiative in the U.S. This initiative is focused on building knowledge around the economics of families and evidence-based ways to promote and strengthen healthy families.

Mayis Eissa, Anat Zeira,

This study explores the experiences of Palestinian parents in East Jerusalem whose young children were removed from their homes due to verified maltreatment, highlighting the disruption to their parental roles and the added challenges of legal, political, and geographic barriers. Findings show how parents cope with separation, from acceptance to viewing it as temporary, and call for policies and interventions that address the intersecting socio-political and legal complexities shaping their lives.

E. Delap, G. Mann, S. Sharmin, et al.,

Research across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka shows that climate change is intensifying drivers of family separation—including poverty, food insecurity, child migration, early marriage, and trafficking—while placing children with disabilities at heightened risk. The study calls for family strengthening to be a central pillar of climate adaptation strategies, emphasizing resilience-building, child and community engagement, and advocacy for both emission reductions and reparations for affected communities.

Rita Pinto, Ana Catarina Canário, Maria José Rodrigo & Orlanda Cruz ,

This study examined the long-term use of the Standard Triple P parenting program in Portugal’s child protection system, five years after 16 practitioners were accredited. Using a SWOT analysis and the Integrated Sustainability Framework, the study identified key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats affecting program sustainability, highlighting the need for deliberate planning to ensure evidence-based parenting programs are maintained over time and effectively reach families in need.

India Alternative Care Network (IACN) and Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC),

Strengthening Families in India: Framework & Guidance, jointly developed by India Alternative Care Network (IACN) and Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC), aims to consolidate existing knowledge, interventions, and promising practices led by government bodies and civil society organizations across India.

UNICEF and Changing the Way We Care,

This paper explores strategies to prevent the separation of children from their families, drawing on evidence from Eastern and Southern Africa. It highlights the importance of strong care systems, holistic family support, and coordinated services to keep children safely within their families and communities.

World Bank Group,

This document provides comprehensive guidelines for designing, implementing, and evaluating effective and scalable parenting programs—including by examining their costs—particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Uganda Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, UNICEF,

Uganda’s first mapping study on parenting interventions (2020–2021) highlighted the need for evidence-based approaches and clear delivery guidelines to strengthen parenting programming. In response, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development developed a parenting manual to harmonize stakeholders’ efforts, streamline programming, and strengthen families nationwide.

UNICEF Serbia,

The first comprehensive “Benchmarking Report on Parenting Support Policies and Programs in the Republic of Serbia” aims to support national and local efforts to improve the availability and quality of systemic, cross-sectoral support for parents and caregivers in Serbia, in order to ensure the optimal development of children and young people.

Catholic Relief Services,

This report evaluates the Inclusive Family Strengthening (IFS) project's impact on caregivers of children with disabilities in Zambia. It highlights significant improvements in caregiver resilience, social support, and access to essential services. The report notes increased positive parenting behaviors, such as showing affection and rewarding good behavior, and a reduction in the use of corporal punishment.