Jasmina Byrne and Alice Margaria OoR - Overview analysis of UNICEF supported policy and provision in middle and lower income countries at the Expert Consultation on Family and Parenting Support, UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti Florence 26-27 May 2014

1. UNICEF
Office of Research - Innocenti
Family and parenting support
unite for
children

2. Family and Parenting Support - Rationale
1. Families can play central role and offer protection, love, identity,
care, development and economic stability to children
2. Important part of national social policies and investment packages
esp. OECD countries
1. Conceptual differences and related sectoral outcomes
2. Poor evidence on policy drivers and impact of interventions
3. Proactive and multispectral approach
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3. Parenting and Family support in the
context of the CRC
• states must ‘render appropriate assistance to parents and legal
guardians in the performance of their child-rearing responsibilities and
shall ensure the development of institutions, facilities and services for
the care of children’; (article 18)
• states have an obligation to provide material assistance and support
programmes; (article 27)
• the child’s right to protection from all forms of violence highlights the
importance of establishing social programmes that provide support to
children and families around prevention, identification and follow up of
incidents of child maltreatment. (article 19)
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4. Life cycle approach 0-18
Early childhood - the most critical time in a child’s development, laying
the foundation for physical, emotional, and intellectual wellbeing
CRC General Comments no 7 young children have particular
requirements for physical nurturance, emotional care and sensitive
guidance as well as time and space for social play;
• Adolescence – a period of intensive brain maturation process, a
period of intense cognitive development and regulatory system
marked by opportunities and risks
• CRC general Comment no 4: Adolescent children need parental
guidance and need to be recognized as active rights holders whose
views need to be duly taken into account.
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5. Social Protection
UNICEF understands social protection as:
“a set of public and private
policies and programmes aimed at
preventing, reducing and
eliminating economic and social
vulnerabilities to poverty and
deprivation”
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6. Social protection components & examples
Cash transfers (including pensions, child benefits, poverty-targeted, seasonal)
Food transfers
Nutritional supplementation; Provision of ARVs
Public works
Birth registration
User fee abolition
Health insurance
Exemptions, vouchers, subsidies
Specialized services to ensure equitable access for all
Family support services
Home-based care
Accessible Childcare services
Programmes
to access
services
Social
Support
and care
Minimum and equal pay legislation
Employment guarantee schemes
Maternity and paternity leave
Removal of discriminatory legislation or policies affecting service provision/access or
employment
Inheritance rights
Social
Transfers
Legislation
& Policies
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7. Evidence of impact of family and
parenting support programmes
•Predominantly from high income countries
•More evidence emerging on impact of
parenting programmes
• Challenges of transferability
• Poor evidence of contextual factors
Context policy intervention mechanisms outcome
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8. Research Proposal
Impact of policies and programmes on child and adolescent wellbeing
a) conceptual understandings and analysis of policy orientations and
rationales for provision
b) review of impact on both families and children, effectiveness of different
approaches and what contributes to impact
c) Case studies: country specific analysis of determinants of family and
parental roles, competencies, functions and policy and programme
analysis (design, process, outcomes, policy change)
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9. UNICEF 9
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10. PROPOSED OUTOCMES OF THE
MEETING
• Tie up the concepts and an analytical framework
• Start generating ideas on policy and implementation
readiness and theories of change
• Working group on methodology for policy and
implementation readiness
• Where is data and where are evidence gaps? Future
research priorities?
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11. GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE
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12. Definitions of ‘family’
• Sources: 55 national laws and policies in 33 countries and
regional bodies
• Family laws and civil codes
Deal with marital relationships, property
•Marriage – e.g., Romania, Mongolia, China
•Extended family in addition to married couples (Armenia,
Turkmenistan)
•Common property of dwelling (Belarus, BiH)
• Laws and policies which provide for social protection
and social assistance seems to reflect a wider definition
of ‘family’:
•E.g.: Romania (Civil Code < Law on Social Assistance)
•List of beneficiaries – e.g. BiH
•ALL families/people: Ethiopia
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13. FAMILY cont.
• Progressive expansion of a definition of a family
• Nuclear family predominant form
• Requisite of marriage being replaced with cohabitation
• The broader the definition more room for policy makers to define
target beneficiaries
• Shift of focus from definition to role and function
•African Union recognizes changing structure of family and key
functions/dimensions 1) pysco-biological unit, 2) social unit (same
households) and 3) basic economic production unit
• Key challenges in identifying those who are entitled to support
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14. Definitions of ‘family support’ and ‘parenting
support’
The examined laws and policies rarely use these terms;
however, the following conclusions can be drawn:
•Family support tend:
• To be provided for by laws on social protection and support
as well as child protection
• To go hand in hand with other forms of social assistance
•Parenting support tend:
• To have a narrower scope – focus on how parents understand and
undertake their parenting role
• To be provided mainly under the ECD and health umbrellas
•Mixed policies: focus on parenting skills + financial support
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15. From policy to implementation
• Nurse visitation: provides important approach to child health and
nutrition e.g. in CEE/CIS, Pakistan, Cuba
• Opportunities to address parental benefits and other aspects of child
wellbeing not always realized
• Parenting education – widespread
• Mostly run by NGOs
• When integrated into educational system or part of policy – broader
coverage (Romania, Turkey)
• Mostly target mothers (e.g. Romania)
• Evaluations of impact on children scarce
• Lack of unified package of provision and a comprehensive framework
(Cambodia)
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16. From Policy to Implementation cont.
• Family support
• CEE/CIS – prevention of child abandonment (Uzbekistan), preventative
social work and case management (Macedonia, Serbia), social protection
(early detection and early support), family counseling (Montenegro), respite
care (Serbia)
•South East Asia, Africa – government supported family support initiatives
are rare
Challenges:
• Differences in quality and coverage of services
• Poor awareness of recipients of services (centre based) (e.g.
Georgia)
• Poor services in Rural Areas (e.g. Romania)
• Lack of specialized staff and skills to offer preventative services (Indo,
Mongolia, BIH)
• Over reliance on traditional support networks
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17. Conclusion
• Disconnect between aspirational and well-conceptualized policies
and the realities on the ground
• ‘Black box’ of social, structural, institutional and organizational factors
• Context policy intervention mechanisms outcome
• Do we need specific family policies or parenting support policies?
• What kind of evidence do we need to inform policies and their
implementation?
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18. Thank you!
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December 15, 2014