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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Celebrating the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family

United Nations General Assembly , 20 Nov 2014

A brief revised draft resolution from the UN General Assembly on the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family and its recognition of the continued importance of “giving due consideration to advancing family policy development in the ongoing discussion on the post-2015 development agenda.”

Celebration of the Twentieth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2014

United Nations General Assembly Economic and Social Council , 18 Nov 2014

The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 68/136. The report focuses on the initiatives and activities by Member States and other relevant stakeholders in observance of the twentieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family, at all levels, and on recent family policy developments.

Preventive Measures for Reducing the Placement of Children in Institutional Care - Croatia

Republic of Croatia Ministry of Social Policy and Youth, 10 Nov 2014

On 10 September 2014, UNICEF and the Permanent Mission of Bulgaria co-hosted a high level Lunchtime Discussion on The right of children below three years to live in a caring and supportive family environment: examples from Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia.The discussion took place on the margins of the September meeting of the UNICEF Executive Board and brought together over 80 participants, including members of the UNICEF Executive Board, representatives of the Permanent Missions to the UN from the CEE/CIS region, international organizations, NGOs, high level UNICEF and National Committee staff. Representatives from Croatia presented on preventing institutionalization of children.

Building Happy Families IRC Research Brief

Amanda Sim, Research Evaluation & Learning Unit, International Rescue Committee (IRC) , 01 Nov 2014

This research brief provides an overview of an impact evaluation of the “Happy Families Program,” conducted by the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The Happy Families Program is a parenting and family skills intervention designed for Burmese families living on the Thai-Burmese border.

Parents Make the Difference: Findings from a Randomized Impact Evaluation of a Parenting Program in Rural Liberia

Amanda Sim, Eve Puffer, Eric Green, Rhea Chase, John Zayzay, Eduardo Garcia-Rolland and Laura Boone - International Rescue Committee, 01 Nov 2014

This report presents the findings from an evaluation of the “Parents Make a Difference” program, conducted by the International Rescue Committee and research partners at Duke University. The Parents Make a Difference program is an intervention that serves families in post-conflict, Lofa County, Liberia.

Parents Make the Difference IRC Research Brief

Amanda Sim, Research Evaluation & Learning Unit, International Rescue Committee , 01 Nov 2014

This research brief provides an overview of an impact evaluation of the “Parents Make the Difference” program, conducted by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and research partners at Duke University. The “Parents Make the Difference” program is a parenting intervention aimed at promoting the well-being of children in post-conflict Liberia.

Building Happy Families: Impact Evaluation of a Parenting and Family Skills Intervention for Migrant and Displaced Burmese Families in Thailand

Amanda Sim, Jeannie Annan, Eve Puffer, Carmel Salhi and Theresa Betancourt - International Rescue Committee, 01 Nov 2014

This report presents findings from the impact evaluation of a parenting and family skills intervention for the displaced Burmese population in Thailand called the Happy Families Program which was implemented by the IRC from 2011 to 2013.

Voice and meaning: the wisdom of Family Support veterans

Carmel Devaney and Pat Dolan, 01 Nov 2014

Using the accumulated wisdom of a select group of accomplished managers, academics and policy makers in social work and social care, this paper retrospectively reviews the evolution of Family Support within the Irish context and distils the core characteristics of Family Support practice and service delivery.

Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma

U.S. Children’s Bureau, 01 Nov 2014

This factsheet discusses the nature of trauma, its effects on children and youth, and ways to help your child.

Transforming gender roles in domestic and caregiving work: preliminary findings from engaging fathers in maternal, newborn, and child health in Rwanda

Kate Doyle, Jane Kato-Wallace, Shamsi Kazimbaya & Gary Barker - Gender and Development, 29 Oct 2014

This article draws on Promundo and RWAMREC’s programmatic experiences in Rwanda of implementing MenCare+, a gender transformative approach to engaging young and adult men (ages 15–35) in caregiving, maternal, newborn, and child health, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.