Supporting Parents explores the range of supports that parents find effective and how those supports might be improved or better mobilized. In this overview of a series of research studies commissioned by the Department of Health, David Quinton considers the relationship between formal and informal support and how different forms of support, such as practical help, material resources, emotional support and specialist advice, make a difference to parenting. This new research offers an innovative perspective on support by drawing from studies on the general population as well as specific service users, to highlight issues common to parents in a wide variety of circumstances. These include:· how parents cope in stretching situations such as financial hardship or new step-families and how they deal with children's problematic behaviour· the effects of foster carers' different parenting approaches· parenting and support in the context of disability· assisting parents who are hard to support, such as those that reject a child, teenage parents in public care and imprisoned fathers.Family and childcare social workers, health visitors and policy makers will find Supporting Parents to be an essential introduction to a set of key research studies that document and have, in some cases, shaped recent policy initiatives.
Foreword by Margaret Hodge.The Overview Process. Part 1: Background and Concepts. 1. Origins and Aims of the Research Initiative. 2. What do we Mean by Support? 3. The Policy Context. Part 2: Parenting and its Supports. 4. Studies of Parenting in the General Population. 5. Studies of Foster-care. 6. Parenting and Support in the Context of Disability. 7. Supporting Parents who may be Hard to Help. Part 3: Cross-cutting Themes. 8. Themes and Issues Across the Studies. Appendix A: The Researchers' Summaries of their Studies. Appendix B: The Policy and Practice Readers of the Studies. Appendix C: The Overview Group. References. Subject index. Author index.
This book provides an overview of the findings of 14 government-funded studies, carried out in the Supporting Parents initiative, between 1996 and 2002. The book presents research findings in non-technical language making them accessible to a wide readership. The strength of the book lies in the author's ability to deal with complexity, in terms of sources of support and content; diversity of family structures; problems faced by parents; and views on services. The only obvious omission, though this is understandable, is a lack of focus on supporting parents who do not engage with social work on a voluntary basis, for instance those who are subject to Parenting Orders. This book will be of great value to social workers and managers. It should be read by those planning new, or refocusing existing services. Most importantly, it should form part of a toolkit for children's services inter-agency planning, service delivery and partnership groups.
