Importance of Parents and Carers Support and Their Implications on the Design and Delivery of Childrens Services - Essay Example

Importance of Parents’ and Carers’ Support and Their Implications on the Design and Delivery of Children’s Services Introduction Traditionally, parents were considered the ultimate source of holistic support for children. As support for children’s welfare become complex due to diverse factors which affected parenting practices, the conservative view was expanded to include extended family members, relatives and private or public children’s services institutions. The importance for children’s support can not be overemphasized. With more tasks and responsibilities relegated to parents, their role as the sole source of support had been scrutinized and evaluated to determine the effects on children’s welfare. The emergence of carers’ critical roles in augmenting parental support continues to influence the design and delivery of services catered to children’s needs. The primary purpose of this essay is to critically analyze why support for parents and carers is considered to be important and to determine the implications that this may have for the way in which children’s services are designed and delivered. The Scope of Parenting A parent is simply defined as “a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian”. (WordNet 2008) By the definition alone, other members of the immediate family who nurtures and raises a child, aside from the biological parents, are also considered under the term. Specifically, carers are defined in the information sheet on the National Respite for Carers Program (NRCP) as “a person who, through family relationship or friendship, looks after a frail older person or someone with a disability or chronic illness. Carers look after these people in the community or in their own homes” (DoHA, 2006). Although the definition of carer, in this regard, did not include nurturing or raising children, Leverett (2008) averred that “carers…can include siblings, other family members and neighbours, as well as statutory and voluntary care provided by foster carers and residential care staff” (p. 48). Due to the expanded roles identified as responsible for the children’s wellbeing, parental responsibility should be emphasized. Leverett (2008, p. 48) stipulated that parental responsibility “governs all the rights, duties, powers and responsibilities which by law a parent of a child has in relation to the child”. The relevance of identifying person or persons considered as having parental responsibility in determining accountabilities in decision making regarding a child’s welfare. Parenting, being a multifaceted process, “involves living with the child and performing discrete activities or physical tasks such as preparing food, buying and washing their clothes or liaising with health and education professionals. It also includes general behavior such as being a role model, and providing encouragement and physical or emotional comfort.” Leverett (2008, p. 49) Most important of all is the child’s perception of the feelings of love, affection, security and trust accorded by those they recognize as parents and carers. Globally, parenting or the actual nurturing and raising children is skewed towards the female gender. In a study conducted by Ghate and Ramella (2002), 81% of participants in parenting program are females. Several government agencies and private institutions encourage the active involvement of fathers in the parental process (Sure Start, 2006, p. 82). Importance of Parents’ and Carers’ Support Practically all organizations agree that children need appropriate support to sustain normal growth and ensure a happy, healthy life. However, parents and carers with impaired factors for nurturing and raising their children have been identified as requiring appropriate support depending on diverse circumstances. After having identified and qualified who are responsible for nurturing and raising children, the next relevant issue that needs to be addressed is the factors that determine the capacity of the parents and carers for support, to wit: (1) basic care, (2) ensuring safety and protection, (3) emotional warmth, (4) stability, (5) guidance and boundaries, and (6) stimulation. (DH et al., 2000) Unfortunately, Leverett (2008) recognized that “the capacity of parents can be enhanced or undermined by factors and experiences, sometimes within their control sometimes not, located in family and wider social networks or created by the cultural, social, political and economic environment”. (p.66) From among the identified factors which deter the full capacity of parenting, the misuse of drugs and/or alcohol is considered to “adversely affect the ability of parents to attend to the emotional, physical and developmental needs of their children in both the short and long term” (Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), 2004, webpage). Other factors such as mental health, disability, ethnicity, domestic violence or previous history of abuse also drastically influence parenting capacity (Cleaver, 2006). Having assessed parenting capacity, the determination on the rationale for parenting support is inevitable. Moran, et. al. (2004) defines parenting support as “any intervention for parents or carers aimed at reducing risks and/or promoting protective factors for their children, in relation to their social, physical and emotional well-being” (p. 6). Accordingly, three levels of parenting support have been identified, to wit: “(1) primary ... intervening to prevent the onset of problems ...; (2) secondary ... intervening with high risk groups or where problems have begun but are not yet strongly entrenched ...; and (3) tertiary ... when problems are already strongly present and require active treatment”. (Moran et al., 2004, p. 6) Therefore the degree or level of parenting support determines the design and delivery of children’s services. In this regard, parenting support is important to identify the specific courses of action which should be implemented in children’s services: either preventive or remedial. Implications in the Design and Delivery of Children’s Services The identification of the kind of parenting capacity and support are critical in the determination of the design and delivery of children’s services. However, the perception of parents on issues such as capacity and support are influenced by poverty, lack of information or discrimination. (Leverett, 2008, p. 73) Some parents or carers view support as either an intrusion or inadequate; thereby, its appropriate delivery is wanting. The tiers of need exhibited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (2006, p. 6) identified levels of need: from low, medium, high, to child is already accommodated. These levels spell out the required access for parenting support which could either be on a voluntary or compulsory basis. In addition, (Quinton 2004) suggests that “there is a lack of cooperation between services providing support to parents, and where there is cooperation it can usually be attributed to energetic individuals rather than effective systems or structures. It could be argued that service providers need to develop their own social capital”. Aside from the identified qualifying differences, support is also classified according to formal (from statutory or mainstream services), semi-formal support (community or voluntary groups) and informal support (provided by family and friends) (Quinton, 2004). These classifications differ on the quality and degree of support accorded to parents ranging from provision of specialists assistance to providing emotional support by relatives and peers. As averred by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) (2002, p. 22), “the key issue for success in providing support for parents is the quality of relationship developed by those providing the service; in some cases parents indicate that they feel not listened to or talked down to”. Targeting the qualified candidates for parental support depends on factors such as demographics, including the kind of community the parents live, a particular children (disable, mentally challenged, or of ethnic descent), or parents at particular points in the life course (for example, very young or first-time parents). (Leverett, 2008, p. 76). In a DVD transcript entitled “Working with Parents”, the group of carers has invited parents to attend and actively participate in a book reading activity with their children. This exercise has been proven to be effective in inculcating the proper values of care and support. According to the carer, this program is in conjunction with the government’s thrust of that Every Child Matters. Basically the Government has realized that there is a need to work not only with the children but with the parents as well. The parents acknowledged the positive feedback they gathered when they saw how appreciative their children are of their presence in the program. In a “Belonging” transcript, the child with impaired speech, Vanessa, was encouraged by practitioners to join mainstream clubs and groups which would enhance her coping mechanisms. In addition, by being member of a support group, the therapeutic advantages of peer relationships enhance the development of a positive identity rather then relying solely on adult support. It is eminent from the transcript that the factor of the child’s positive personality was present, including family support and happy, memorable experiences and interrelationships with the group from where Vanessa belongs. By belonging to these groups, she felt socially secure and enhanced a positive identity despite her disability. Conclusion The provision of parental support is a relevant concern precipitating close evaluation and monitoring to ensure that the children under their care are effectively and efficiently taken cared of. With diverse factors affecting its structure, local and state agencies should be more vigilant in designing policies which would address issues pertaining to its availability and accessibility. The importance of parenting support is found in its capacity to identify the specific courses of action which should be implemented in children’s services: either preventive or remedial given some impairment in parental capacity for nurturing their children. With the availability and classifications of support accorded by various agencies and groups, parents would be assured that their inefficiencies would be properly addressed accordingly. Both local and state agencies should recognize the impact of supporting concerns to address the provision of children’s services for their well being. Reference List Cleaver, H. (2006) ‘The influence of parenting and other family relationships’ in Aldgate, J., Jones, D., Rose, W. and Jeffery, C. (eds) The Developing World of the Child, London, Jessica Kingsley, pp. 122–140. Department of Health and Ageing (DoHA). (2006). Definition of Carers. Retrieved on August 11, 2009 from Department of Health, Department for Education and Employment, Home Office (2000). Framework for Assessment of Children in Need and their Families, London, The Stationery Office, available online at , accessed 12 August 2009. DVD Transcript. Working With Parents. DVD Transcript. Belonging. Ghate, D. and Ramella, M. (2002) Positive Parenting: The National Evaluation of the Youth Justice Board’s Parenting Programme, London, Youth Justice Board. Leverett, S. (2008). ‘Parenting: politics and concepts for practice’. Promoting children’s wellbeing: policy and practice. The Open University. United Kingdom. Moran, P., Ghate, D. and van der Merwe, A. (2004) What Works in Parenting Support? A Review of the International Evidence, available online at , accessed 12 August 2009. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (2006). DfES Children’s Services: The Market for Parental and Family Support Services, London, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Quinton, D. (2004). Supporting Parents: Messages from Research, London, Jessica Kingsley. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) (2002). Helpful Parenting, London, RCPCH, also available online at , accessed 12 August, 2009. Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) (2004) Research briefing 6: Parenting capacity and substance misuse, available online at , accessed 12 August 2009. Sure Start (2006). Sure Start Children’s Centres: Practice Guidance, London, DfES WordNet. (2008). Definition of Parent. 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. Princeton University, Farlex Inc. 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