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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Global Status Report on Violence Prevention 2014

World Health Organization , 2014

This report from the World Health Organization provides an overview of the progress countries have made in implementing the recommendations set out in the World Report on Violence and Health in 2002.

Building Social Connectedness: A Brief Guide for Practitioners Working with Children and Youth

Shirley Pendlebury - Synergos Institute, 2014

This brief guide: defines social isolation and social connectedness; explains why it is important to build social connectedness; outlines enabling policies; provides guidelines on how practitioners can support children and youth to build meaningful social connections.

From a Whisper to a Shout: A Call to End Violence Against Children in Alternative Care

SOS Children’s Villages and the University of Bedfordshire , 2014

This report from SOS Children’s Villages and the University of Bedfordshire provides reviews and assessments of the implementation of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children in 21 countries around the world.

Alternative Care: An Animated Film

Save the Children, 2014

This animated video, produced by Save the Children, tells the story of Suman, a boy whose mother sends him to a care center as she is having difficulty caring for him.

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Report of the 2nd Pan-African Conference on Parenting 2013

YONECO & Parenting in Africa Network, 31 Dec 2013

This report summarises the presentations and conclusions from the 2nd Pan-African annual conference on parenting held on the 16-17th October 2013 in Malawi on the theme of "Understanding realities of teenage parenting: a special focus on adolescents (boys and girls) with parenting responsibilities."

Current trends, figures and challenges in out of home child care: An international comparative analysis

Jorge F. del Valle and Amaia Bravo, 31 Dec 2013

This article closes a special edition focused on the state of child protection in 16 countries chosen to represent very different cultural contexts, historical backgrounds, and social welfare systems with special attention to out-of-home care placements, principally family foster care and residential care, though several aspects related to adoption were included as well.

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Myanmar: Kinship Care Handbook

Jane Calder and Bep Van Sloten, 31 Dec 2013

This Handbook aims to provide guidance for Save the Children staff, NGO partners, Community Child Protection Groups and community volunteers in Myanmar in protecting the welfare of children living with extended family members.

The 'dance' of kinship care in England and Ireland: Navigating a course between regulation and relationships

Emily R. Munro, Robbie Gilligan, 31 Dec 2013

There has been a significant growth in the use of formal kinship care in the UK and Ireland in the last 20 years. The paper charts some of the reasons for the 'organic growth' of kinship care and the multiple dynamics that have shaped this.

Ending Legalised Violence Against Children (Global Report 2013)

Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children, 30 Dec 2013

This comprehensive report by the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children analyses data regarding progress toward eliminating corporal punishment amongst all states party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Assessment of Community-and Family-Based Alternative Child-Care Services in Ethiopia

Getnet Tadele, Desta Ayode, Woldekidan Kifle, 28 Dec 2013

This assessment conducted by FHI 360, with support from Ethiopia's Ministry of Women, Youth and Children Affairs (MoWYCA) and the OAK Foundation aimed to generate evidence about formal community and family- based alternative child care services and service providing agencies in Ethiopia, with a particular focus on magnitude, quality and quality-assurance mechanisms.