Enhancing Parenting Skills
What Can
Policymakers
Do?
·
Provide for parent education services
particularly targeting vulnerable parents through:
·
Home visiting programs
that are an effective vehicle for parent education and have demonstrated a significant impact on long-term child outcomes. Missouri’s
Governor
recently expanded
Parents as Teachers
, an evidence-based home-visiting program started in Missouri in 1970 and replicated in over 3,000 sites. Arkansas has led the country in investing in the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY). Several states including Colorado and Minnesota are working to make the highly effective Nurse Home Visiting program available to every low income new mother.
·
Family resource centers
such as the Family and Youth Resource Centers established by the Kentucky legislature
provide comprehensive services tailored to the needs of each family. The program has been demonstrated to be effective at supporting families and ensuring that children are ready for school and achieving early academic success. The Michigan Governor expanded family resource centers to schools. Connecticut has made significant investments to create family resource centers as the hub of community-based services.
·
Ensure the availability of
parent literacy skills programs.
South Carolina
promotes “ Reach Out and Read ” day, that highlights an effective strategy of encouraging parent and early literacy through parent engagement by pediatricians.
Support fatherhood initiatives.
Connecticut
’s Responsible Fatherhood Initiative, was established by
legislation
to identify services that encourage parenting and assist fathers to meet the financial and medical needs of their children through employment and child support.
[i]
Wimer, C., and Gunther, R. (2006).
Summer success: Challenges and strategies in creating quality academically focused summer programs
(Issues and Opportunities in Out-of-School Time Evaluation No. 9).
[ii]
Olds, D. L., Eckenrode, J., Henderson, Jr., Charles R., Kitzman, Harriet et al. (1997). Long-term effects of home visitation on maternal life course and child abuse and neglect: Fifteen-year follow-up of a randomized trial.
[iii]
National Forum on Early Childhood Program Evaluation, Science Briefs (2008). Do Nurse Home-Visiting Programs Have Lasting Benefits for Mothers and Children? Retrieved January 6, 2009. Web site: http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu