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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Study on Traditional Parenting and Child Care Practices in Zambia

Andrew Brudevold-Newman, Paula Dias, Jacqueline Jere Folotiya, Haatembo Mooya, Varsha Ranjit, Hannah Ring - American Institutes for Research, University of Zambia (UNZA), UNICEF, 01 Jul 2018

This project, designed to explore parenting practices across various regions within Zambia, aims to further advance ongoing efforts to support early childhood development (ECD) by informing parenting programmes intended to promote optimal child development.

Parenting Knowledge among First-time Parents of Young Children

Jessica Dym Bartlett, Lina Guzman, and Maria A. Ramos-Olazagasti - Child Trends, 01 Jul 2018

This research-to-practice brief highlights findings from Child Trends’ study of first-time parents of young children (under age 3) and their knowledge about parenting and child development.

Family Care for Children with Disabilities: Practical Guidance for Frontline Workers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Elayn M. Sammon and Gwen Burchell - World Learning, Partnerships for Every Child, USAID, 14 Jun 2018

Family Care for Children with Disabilities: Practical Guidance for Frontline Workers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries was developed to help front-line personnel (social service workers and others) in low- and middle-income countries to work effectively with children with disabilities and their families.

Better Parenting Nigeria: Facilitator Manual

Coordinating Comprehensive Care for Children (4Children), Catholic Relief Services, 29 May 2018

Better Parenting Nigeria is a parenting education curriculum whose goal is to build caregiver protective factors so that parents can provide better support to children.

Better Parenting Nigeria: Community Discussion Guide

Coordinating Comprehensive Care for Children (4Children), Catholic Relief Services, 29 May 2018

The Better Parenting Nigeria Community Discussion Guide supplements the Better Parenting Nigeria Facilitator Manual to facilitate guided discussions and learning by parents to improve parenting knowledge, attitudes and skills.

Implementation of Reach Up early childhood parenting program: acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility in Brazil and Zimbabwe

Joanne A. Smith, Helen Baker‐Henningham, Alexandra Brentani, Rose Mugweni, Susan P. Walker - Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 23 May 2018

This paper presents an evaluation of an early childhood parenting training package implemented in Brazil and Zimbabwe, called Reach Up, with the aim of providing an evidence‐based, adaptable program that is feasible for low‐resource settings.

What do foster families and social workers think about children’s contact with birth parents? A focus group analysis

María J Fuentes, Isabel M Bernedo, María D Salas, Miguel A García-Martín - International Social Work, 22 May 2018

This study analyzes the opinions of foster families and social workers regarding the benefits and problems associated with contact visits.

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Ending violence against children in Lao PDR: A multi-sectoral response to the national Violence against Children Survey Priority actions 2018

National Commission for Mothers and Children, Lao Statistics Bureau and UNICEF Lao PDR, 18 May 2018

This document outlines the priority actions to which the Government of Lao PDR is committed to pursuing in order to tackle violence against children in the country.

Collaborating with parents during intervention with parental agreement: Practitioner perspectives on procedural justice

Dr Jemma Venables & Prof Karen Healy - , 16 May 2018

In this paper, the authors use procedural justice theory as a lens to explore how “intervention with parental agreement” (IPA) policy is enacted in practice.

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The Uganda National Parenting Guidelines

Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, 01 May 2018

These Guidelines are for all persons taking care of children. The goal of these Guidelines is to empower parents, the family and community structures to effectively nurture children so that they can realise their full potential.