Research and policy
Policy: Every Parent Matters
22 Mar 2007
2.1 Parents' influence is important throughout childhood and adolescence. At different times parents guide, encourage and teach. Children learn from the example set by their parents. The support parents give for their children’s cognitive development is important, as is instilling of values, aspirations and support for the development of wider interpersonal and social skills. Recent research has shown the importance of parental warmth, stability, consistency and boundary setting in helping children develop such skills.
In the early years, parental aspirations and encouragement have a significant impact on children's cognitive development and literacy and numeracy skills.
3.1 How things go during pregnancy and the first years of a child's life can influence deeply that child's health, including patterns of healthy eating and physical activity, its well-being, cognitive development and emotional security. We have clear evidence as children move through their early years, of the positive impact of parental engagement on children's cognitive and social development, as well as on numeracy and literacy skills. It is a time of rapid brain growth and research has shown a direct link between the stimulation a child receives and their brain development.
3.3 Both international and UK evidence show us that high quality social and psychological support as part of universal child and family health services can have outstanding results in terms of outcomes and long term cost-effectiveness, particularly for families with high levels of deprivation.
3.6 The EPPE study showed that what parents do is more important than who parents are. Parents engaging in a range of activities with their child were all associated with higher intellectual and social and behavioural scores. These activities included:
- reading with your child.
- teaching songs and nursery rhymes.
- painting and drawing.
- playing with letters and numbers.
- visiting the library, museums and other places.
- creating regular opportunities to play with friends.
6.2 The Supporting Parents guidance issued in October 2006 asked each local authority to develop a strategic and joined up approach to the design and delivery of parenting support services in its area. It suggests that parenting support to deliver improved outcomes for children should be seen as a continuum from information, early intervention and preventative services through to the use of enforcement measures.
6.3 The guidance encourages the creation of a local strategy (working within the existing processes to develop and review their Children and Young People's Plan and Sustainable Community strategy) for designing, commissioning and delivering flexible and responsive local services that empower and support parents to become more confident in improving child outcomes. It asks authorities to appoint a single commissioner to champion services for parents. The aim is to create greater personalisation of services that is more responsive to every child's and family's requirements.
(Every Parent Matters, 2007)
For more information visit www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=11184%20.
