family and parenting support

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unite for children UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti Family and parenting support

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Page 1: Family and Parenting Support

unite for

children

UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Family and parenting support

Page 2: Family and Parenting Support

2UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Family and Parenting Support - Rationale

1. Families can play central role and offer protection, love, identity,

care, development and economic stability to children

2. Important part of national social policies and investment packages

esp. OECD countries

1. Conceptual differences and related sectoral outcomes

2. Poor evidence on policy drivers and impact of interventions

3. Proactive and multispectral approach

Page 3: Family and Parenting Support

3UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Parenting and Family support in the

context of the CRC

• states must ‘render appropriate assistance to parents and legal

guardians in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities and

shall ensure the development of institutions, facilities and services for

the care of children’; (article 18)

• states have an obligation to provide material assistance and support

programmes; (article 27)

• the child’s right to protection from all forms of violence highlights the

importance of establishing social programmes that provide support to

children and families around prevention, identification and follow up of

incidents of child maltreatment. (article 19)

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December 15, 2014

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Page 4: Family and Parenting Support

4UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Life cycle approach 0-18

Early childhood - the most critical time in a child’s development, laying

the foundation for physical, emotional, and intellectual wellbeing

CRC General Comments no 7 young children have particular

requirements for physical nurturance, emotional care and sensitive

guidance as well as time and space for social play;

• Adolescence – a period of intensive brain maturation process, a

period of intense cognitive development and regulatory system

marked by opportunities and risks

• CRC general Comment no 4: Adolescent children need parental

guidance and need to be recognized as active rights holders whose

views need to be duly taken into account.

Page 5: Family and Parenting Support

5UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

UNICEF understands social protection as:

Social Protection

“a set of public and private policies and programmes aimed at

preventing, reducing and eliminating economic and social

vulnerabilities to poverty and deprivation”

Page 6: Family and Parenting Support

6UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Social protection components & examples

Cash transfers (including pensions, child benefits, poverty-targeted, seasonal)

Food transfers

Nutritional supplementation; Provision of ARVs

Public works

Birth registration

User fee abolition

Health insurance

Exemptions, vouchers, subsidies

Specialized services to ensure equitable access for all

Family support services

Home-based care

Accessible Childcare services

Minimum and equal pay legislation

Employment guarantee schemes

Maternity and paternity leave

Removal of discriminatory legislation or policies affecting service provision/access or employment

Inheritance rights

Social

Transfers

Programmes

to access

services

Social

Support

and care

Legislation

& Policies

Page 7: Family and Parenting Support

7UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Evidence of impact of family and

parenting support programmes

•Predominantly from high income countries

•More evidence emerging on impact of

parenting programmes

•Challenges of transferability

• Poor evidence of contextual factors

Context policy intervention mechanisms outcome

Page 8: Family and Parenting Support

8UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Research Proposal

Impact of policies and programmes on child and adolescent wellbeing

a) conceptual understandings and analysis of policy orientations and

rationales for provision

b) review of impact on both families and children, effectiveness of different

approaches and what contributes to impact

c) Case studies: country specific analysis of determinants of family and

parental roles, competencies, functions and policy and programme

analysis (design, process, outcomes, policy change)

December 15, 2014

Page 9: Family and Parenting Support

9UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Page 10: Family and Parenting Support

10UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

PROPOSED OUTOCMES OF THE

MEETING

• Tie up the concepts and an analytical framework

• Start generating ideas on policy and implementation

readiness and theories of change

• Working group on methodology for policy and

implementation readiness

• Where is data and where are evidence gaps? Future

research priorities?

Page 11: Family and Parenting Support

11UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE

Page 12: Family and Parenting Support

12UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Definitions of ‘family’ • Sources: 55 national laws and policies in 33 countries and

regional bodies

• Family laws and civil codes

Deal with marital relationships, property•Marriage – e.g., Romania, Mongolia, China

•Extended family in addition to married couples (Armenia,Turkmenistan)

•Common property of dwelling (Belarus, BiH)

• Laws and policies which provide for social protectionand social assistance seems to reflect a wider definitionof ‘family’:•E.g.: Romania (Civil Code < Law on Social Assistance)

•List of beneficiaries – e.g. BiH

•ALL families/people: Ethiopia

Page 13: Family and Parenting Support

13UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

FAMILY cont.

• Progressive expansion of a definition of a family

• Nuclear family predominant form

• Requisite of marriage being replaced with cohabitation

• The broader the definition more room for policy makers to define

target beneficiaries

• Shift of focus from definition to role and function

•African Union recognizes changing structure of family and key

functions/dimensions 1) pysco-biological unit, 2) social unit (same

households) and 3) basic economic production unit

• Key challenges in identifying those who are entitled to support

Page 14: Family and Parenting Support

14UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Definitions of ‘family support’ and ‘parenting

support’

The examined laws and policies rarely use these terms; however, the following conclusions can be drawn:

•Family support tend:

• To be provided for by laws on social protection and support as well as child protection

• To go hand in hand with other forms of social assistance

•Parenting support tend: • To have a narrower scope – focus on how parents understand and

undertake their parenting role

• To be provided mainly under the ECD and health umbrellas

•Mixed policies: focus on parenting skills + financial support

Page 15: Family and Parenting Support

15UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

From policy to implementation

• Nurse visitation: provides important approach to child health and

nutrition e.g. in CEE/CIS, Pakistan, Cuba

• Opportunities to address parental benefits and other aspects of child

wellbeing not always realized

• Parenting education – widespread

• Mostly run by NGOs

• When integrated into educational system or part of policy – broader

coverage (Romania, Turkey)

• Mostly target mothers (e.g. Romania)

• Evaluations of impact on children scarce

• Lack of unified package of provision and a comprehensive framework

(Cambodia)

Page 16: Family and Parenting Support

16UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

From Policy to Implementation cont.

• Family support

• CEE/CIS – prevention of child abandonment (Uzbekistan), preventative

social work and case management (Macedonia, Serbia), social protection

(early detection and early support), family counseling (Montenegro), respite

care (Serbia)

•South East Asia, Africa – government supported family support initiatives

are rare

Challenges:

• Differences in quality and coverage of services

• Poor awareness of recipients of services (centre based) (e.g.

Georgia)

• Poor services in Rural Areas (e.g. Romania)

• Lack of specialized staff and skills to offer preventative services (Indo,

Mongolia, BIH)

• Over reliance on traditional support networks

Page 17: Family and Parenting Support

17UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Conclusion

• Disconnect between aspirational and well-conceptualized policies

and the realities on the ground

• ‘Black box’ of social, structural, institutional and organizational factors

• Context policy intervention mechanisms outcome

• Do we need specific family policies or parenting support policies?

• What kind of evidence do we need to inform policies and their

implementation?

Page 18: Family and Parenting Support

18UNICEFOffice of Research - Innocenti

Thank you!

<insert author name>

December 15, 2014

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