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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Parenting guidelines: For children 0-5 years old (Thai)

UNICEF Thailand and Office of the Education Council, 01 Mar 2018

The guidelines provide information for ECD professionals and parents about holistic child development, linked to the national Early Learning and Development Standards.

ChildFund Deinstitutionalization of Vulnerable Children in Uganda (DOVCU) Final Report

ChildFund, 01 Mar 2018

This final report on the “Deinstitutionalization of Vulnerable Children in Uganda” (DOVCU) project identifies its successes as well as some shortcomings and key learning that is directly relevant to other projects working to support family care for children.

Protecting children through village-based Family Support Groups in a post-conflict and refugee setting, Northern Uganda: Case study

Glynis Clacherty, 01 Mar 2018

This case study tells the story of a child protection programme developed by a community-based organisation called Children of the World that works in villages in northern Uganda.

"Journey of Life" community workshops to support caregivers and children in need

Catholic Relief Services, 13 Feb 2018

The series is designed for communities wishing to support children in need and their caregivers. It includes a facilitator training guide and community implementation guide, as well as guides on protecting children from trafficking and abuse.

Parenting for Lifelong Health: a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial of a non-commercialised parenting programme for adolescents and their families in South Africa

Lucie D Cluver, et al - BMJ Global Health, 31 Jan 2018

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of ‘Parenting for Lifelong Health: Sinovuyo Teen’, a parenting programme for adolescents in low-income and middle-income countries, on abuse and parenting practices.

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The effectiveness of social work services for families whose children are in temporary custody

R. Bardauskiene and J. Pivoriene - 6th International Interdisciplinary Scientific Conference SOCIETY. HEALTH. WELFARE, 31 Jan 2018

The article aims to uncover what hinders social workers to carry out effective work in providing social services for families whose children are in temporary custody.

The Transition from Institutional Care to Adulthood and Independence: A Social Services Professional and Institutional Caregiver Perspective in Harare, Zimbabwe

Getrude Dadirai Gwenzi - Child Care in Practice , 29 Jan 2018

This paper discusses findings from a small-scale qualitative study conducted in Harare, Zimbabwe. Findings show that young people aging out from Harare’s care institutions face challenges making their transition from care into adulthood.

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A qualitative exploration of the experiences of adoptive parents attending ‘Nurturing Attachments’, a dyadic developmental psychotherapy informed group

Olivia Hewitt, Ben Gurney-Smith, Kim Golding - Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 22 Jan 2018

This study evaluates the ‘Nurturing Attachment’ program in the UK, a Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy intervention for adoptive families.

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Maternal incarceration, child protection, and infant mortality: a descriptive study of infant children of women prisoners in Western Australia

Caitlin McMillen Dowell, Gloria C. Mejia, David B. Preen and Leonie Segal - Health & Justice, 15 Jan 2018

This study draws on linked administrative data to describe the exposure of children aged less than 2 years to maternal imprisonment in Western Australia, their contact with child protection services, and infant mortality rates.

Randomized Trial of Home Visitation for CPS-Involved Families: The Moderating Impact of Maternal Depression and CPS History

Melissa Jonson-Reid, Brett Drake, John N. Constantino, Mini Tandon, Laura Pons2, Patricia Kohl, Scott Roesch, Ellie Wideman, Allison Dunnigan, Wendy Auslander - Child Maltreatment, 11 Jan 2018

This paper presents findings from an 18-month randomized controlled trial in which intact families (N = 122) with at least one CPS report were provided with a facilitated connection to a paraprofessional evidence-based HV program or usual care services from child protection.

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