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Public policy can impact positively on parenting, says new report (22 February 2017)

Date: 22/02/2017
Duncan Lewis, Family Solicitors, Public policy can impact positively on parenting, says new report

New research by the Social Mobility Commission has found that public policy can have an impact on parenting behaviour and achieve positive outcomes for children – but there is currently a lack of evidence regarding the measures that work.

The Social Mobility Commission is an advisory, non-departmental public body established under the Life Chances Act 2010 and modified by the Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016.

It has a duty to assess progress in improving social mobility in the UK and to promote social mobility in England.

The report says that parenting interventions can be successful – particularly those focusing on parenting styles, the creation of a supportive home learning environment, relationships within the family and parental stress and mental health.

The research also finds that programmes can give parents a greater understanding of child development – as well as developing parents’ confidence in their role and supporting both parents to become actively involved in a child’s upbringing.

An authoritative parenting style, which combines warmth with firmness in setting boundaries and secure attachment between children and parents – with the provision of a supportive home learning environment – can improve children’s long term quality of life.

Programmes which offer targeted support for parents are most effective, says the report. However, these should be termed “universal”, to reduce stigma for those taking part and increase parental participation.

Home visits were found to have moderate to high levels of success – and highly trained and skilled practitioners, such as nurses, social workers and teachers, are crucial to the successful delivery of parenting interventions.

However, one of the report’s key findings is that there is currently a lack of long-term evidence and studies about parenting interventions that work best. The Social Mobility Commission is calling on the government to commission further research to address gaps in this area.

Figures show that, in the last decade, more than 2.5 million children in England – including more than 580,000 children known to be eligible for free school meals – had not reached the government’s definition of a good level of development by the age of five.

By the time students receive their GCSE results, around 32% of the variation in performance could be predicted based on indicators observed at or before the age of five

Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, Alan Milburn, said:

“The early years of a child’s life have a lasting impact – but there are stark differences in how ready children are for school. In the last decade, over half-a-million poorer children were not school ready by the age of five.

We want the government to set a clear objective that, by 2025, every child is school ready and the child development gap has been closed – this requires every low-income family having access to high-quality childcare.”


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