Parent Supports and Programs
A summary of the scientific literature on programs to support parents.
How This Impacts Children's Development
Parenting is one of the most emotionally powerful, demanding, and consequential tasks of adulthood. Children with engaged fathers have higher levels of cognitive skills and academic grades, more positive peer relationships, and fewer behavior and mental health problems. Additionally, routine interactions between parents and children can support healthy development. This includes family meals which can boost children’s health and wellbeing, reducing the likelihood that they’ll become obese or use drugs, and increase the chances that they’ll do well in school.
READ THE BRIEF: Supporting parents: using research to inform policy and best practice, 2017
READ THE BRIEF: raising healthy children: work roles & children's development, 2011
READ THE BRIEF: The family dinner table: implications for children's health and wellbeing, 2008
Talking Points from the SRCD Briefs
|
Policy Considerations in the Briefs
- Support policy approaches that:
- Expand access to paid family and sick leave
- Provide incentives for more predictable work hours for parents
- Increase child tax credits and tax credits for low-income working families
- Provide resources to help parents make informed choices about childcare
- Foster a well-prepared and well-paid early care and education workforce as well as high-quality out-of-school programs
- Greater support for family-level interventions, including targeting multiple aspects of parent’s wellbeing, co-parenting, and employment challenges, could help improve child development outcomes.
- Parenting interventions not culturally informed may not be as effective in engaging ethnic minority families.
- Interventions that also connect families to community resources may provide additional needed support for multi-risk families.
- These programs provide more intensive support for families facing specific challenges, such as a history of abuse, parental depression or divorce.
- Integrate resources for families into their everyday lives to support parents in the settings they and their children participate in regularly.
- The federal government should build on local initiatives that have launched marketing campaigns promoting the many benefits of healthy family mealtimes.
- Families should be able to make nutritious and healthy food choices in every area of the country. This includes regulations from state and local governments and cities and communities.
READ THE BRIEF: Supporting parents: using research to inform policy and best practice, 2017
READ THE BRIEF: raising healthy children: work roles & children's development, 2011
READ THE BRIEF: The family dinner table: implications for children's health and wellbeing, 2008