Developing policy in the provision of parenting programmes: integrating a review of reviews with the perspectives of both parents and professionals

J. Law, C. Plunkett, J. Taylor, M. Gunning

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    34 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Parenting programmes are a key component of the delivery of children's services, but evidence-based policy has often proved difficult to implement.

    The present review addressed this issue by integrating a review of systematic reviews of parenting programmes and a series of focus groups with parents and professionals involved in parenting across three agencies in a regional area (health, education and social work). The review summarizes parenting interventions targeting infant mental health, emotional and behavioural difficulties, autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, abuse/neglect, alcohol/substance abuse and 'vulnerable' parents. The focus groups discussed topics such as the range of parenting services across the three agencies, accessibility, gaps in the service and future directions.

    Twenty systematic reviews were summarized. These reviews demonstrated that there is a wide range of parenting programmes available that have the potential to benefit families who are affected by problems ranging from emotional and behavioural difficulties to adolescent substance abuse. However, the findings of the focus groups reveal that the success of these programmes will depend in part on how they can be tailored to meet the social context of the families targeted. These integrated findings are discussed in terms of their implications for policy and practice.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)302-312
    Number of pages11
    JournalChild: Care, Health and Development
    Volume35
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - May 2009

    Keywords

    • Integrated services
    • Parenting programmes
    • Qualitative interviews
    • Systematic review

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