Developing support to parents through early childhood services: Workshop report

Corporate, Eurofound

Overview

Research report

Developing support to parents through early childhood services: Workshop report

Published: 20 April 2010

The workshop held on 27 November 2009 was designed to examine how early childhood services are providing parents/carers with educational and social support, and how these services can contribute to more effective parenting. Policymakers, experts and practitioners working in the field presented policy and good practice examples. A second aim of the workshop was to discuss the best way forward and the role of initiatives at the local, national and European level.

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Reference no.

EF1034

Research report

3 March 2013

Parenting support in Europe

The influence of parenting on the well-being and future opportunities of children is widely acknowledged, but it is only recently that parenting support and education have come to be viewed as a social investment that contributes towards reducing parental stress and helping parents to manage their work–life balance. European Member States provide support for parenting in many different ways, from very practical medical-based interventions such as support with breastfeeding, to programmes that aim to increase the confidence and self-esteem of parents and thus improve their relationship with their children. This report gives an up-to-date overview of the main elements of parenting support services and the structure of services across Europe. It includes more detailed information about parenting support in seven Member States: Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Portugal and Sweden. The report summarises common challenges faced by all providers of parenting support, and concludes with policy recommendations based on what has been observed to work in different countries.