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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I Can Save: A Savings Program for Children in Primary School

Victoria Gonzalez-Rubio, 2005

This document highlights a children’s saving program in the state of Missouri, USA. The five-year initiative focuses on increasing financial knowledge and self-efficacy, as well as saving accounts, among children and parents. The end goal is to increase student engagement in post-secondary education and training.

Empowering and Healing Battered Women

Admira Foundation, 2005

Training manual for a three-day course (targeted at care workers) on domestic violence. Focus on empowering battered women to find safety and regain control.

Children in Institutional Care: The Status of their Rights and Protection in Sri Lanka

Save the Children Sri Lanka and Save the Children Canada, 31 Dec 2004

A situation analysis of children in institutional care that includes policy implications and key recommendations.

Children in Institutions: Prevention and Alternative Care: Final Report

Bragi Gudbrandsson, Working Group on Children at Risk in Care, Council of Europe, 19 May 2004

A comparative analysis of protection and care systems across Europe, focusing on the use of institutions, alternative forms of care placements, family support services, and the role of social workers in the process of child placement.

The Future of Children: A Collaboration of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and The Brookings Institute

Princeton University and the Brookings Institute, 17 May 2004

In assessing the practice of foster care in the US and its current limitations, this series of articles advocates for the implementation of health assessments for all children in care, support to preserve permanency and assist birth families, comprehensive supports for foster families, specialized services for children in need, increased cultural competency in social work practice, coordinated services across sectors for families in need and comprehensive well being assessments for children in care.

Promising Practices in Reunification

Susan Dougherty, 2004

A list of US programs and program approaches that influence family reunification outcomes. Relevant for social workers, policy-makers, and others involved in foster care, after care, and family reunification.

Reaching Out to Africa's Orphans: A Framework for Public Action

Kalanidhi Subbarao and Diane Coury, 2004

A detailed book providing evidence-based guidelines for approaches and interventions to best mitigate the various risks confronted by OVC.

Children in Institutions: Prevention and Alternative Care

Bragi Gudbrandsson, 2004

This report contains an overview of alternative care in Europe, the effects of institutions on children, statistical information and the different approaches of child protection systems within Europe. It includes reforming institutional care, foster care, post-care support, and the role of the social worker.

Nutritional and Food Security Status of Orphans and Vulnerable Children: Report of a Research Project supported by UNICEF, IFPRI, and WFP

Jonathan Rivers, Eva Silvestre, and John Mason, 2004

A report on the nutritional status of orphans in sub-Saharan Africa. Seeks to understand the relationship between child vulnerability and food security. Contains conclusions and recommendations relevant for future monitoring initiatives.

A Global Policy for the Protection of Children Deprived of Parental Care

Claudia Cabral, 2004

This paper presents a set of global policy guidelines for the protection of children without parental care. It recommends the need for a global understanding of best practices within the legal framework of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.