Review of Parenting Programmes
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Overview
A review of parenting programmes by the Families Commission has found the need for a broad strategy to support parents, including provision of a nationwide parent education programme.
The review, carried out at the request of the Minister for Social Development and Employment, looked at a wide range of government and non-government parenting support and development programmes.
In 2002/03 the government spent around $30.5 million on parenting programmes involving about 14,000 families, and funding for its Family Start programme has increased since then.
Drawing on relevant national and international literature the review provides comment on key issues and discusses potential ways forward in the provision of parenting programmes. The review notes some gaps in the research literature and recommends areas for further work. It also points out that parents who are stressed and struggling to meet basic needs can find it challenging to focus on supporting their children's learning and development.
Parenting programmes alone cannot address established patterns of inappropriate parenting. The review recommends the development of a broad parenting strategy that has been informed by a careful analysis of the needs of families, communities and those working with parents and families. In particular the needs of fathers, teen parents, grandparents, and other groups should be explored. A matrix of services may be required to address all these needs.
The strategy also needs to support a change in culture so that it becomes the norm to seek help with parenting and this may in turn lead to greater engagement in parent education programmes and services. In general, the research literature shows that parenting education and support programmes can make a positive difference, especially if they are part of a broader strategy.
Universal programmes can help identify those families who would benefit from more targeted interventions and those who are unable to continue with programmes because they have moved into a neighbourhood where no programme exists. The review suggests a universal programme could be built on an existing service, such as that provided by Plunket. Providing a nationwide, ongoing programme would also normalise the involvement of people building up their parenting skills.
However the review is careful to point out that no single approach or programme will work for everyone and that parent support and development programmes can be delivered in a number of different ways. There is some evidence that certain types of outcome (for example, cognitive outcomes for children, reduction of stress in parents) are more likely if programmes are delivered in particular ways. Each form of delivery has its own set of critical factors that, if present, will facilitate the success of the programme.
The research literature shows that parenting programmes can make a positive difference but there has been little cost-benefits analysis and it is not clear what the long term outcomes are for parents and children. Nor is it clear how well the programmes meet families' needs.
The report recommends more research to find out what works for which groups of families and for which family members. It also recommends further work to determine the skills and knowledge that parents need in order to parent more effectively.
The Families Commission has presented its review of parenting programmes to the Minister for Social Development and Employment and is now in the early stages of planning further work on parenting issues.