Positive Relationships: Parenting Support - Vouch for it

A Government scheme encouraging parents to access parenting advice is now being trialled, giving early years practitioners in the three trial areas an important role in spreading the word about the initiative.

Called CANParent (Classes and Advice Network), the scheme is aimed at mothers and fathers of children aged five and under and stems from Government recognition of the vital role that parents play in their children's learning and development in the Foundation Years.

Backed by the Departments for Education and Health, the initiative has been welcomed across the early years sector. The scheme is viewed as a positive step in ensuring that all parents have access to support for dealing with a range of issues, including their children's cognitive, social and emotional development; their communication; and discipline.

To date, parenting classes have been offered mainly by children's centres, nurseries, schools and voluntary organisations, such as Family Links, while participation in these classes has been through self-referral or by referrals from agencies dealing primarily with families with complex social and emotional needs.

Under the CANParent initiative, families receive vouchers with a monetary value of £100 to spend on parenting advice. The vouchers are available through local Boots stores, children's centres, midwives, health visitors and other Foundation Years settings. Parents can redeem their vouchers at an approved list of local providers, although the options available are varied - from online support to attending local groups - so that parents can choose support that best suits their lifestyle and needs.

Equally varied are the range of issues that the initiative aims to tackle - from promoting good behaviour to establishing positive routines, as well as dealing with the more complex challenges that may occur when bringing up children. The scheme should help all parents to engage positively with their children's needs.

Trials of the scheme began in April in Camden in London, High Peak Derbyshire and Middlesbrough and will continue until March 2014, in order to give all the families a chance to use their voucher.

The aim of the trial is to test how to stimulate a market in universal parenting classes, to enable a major expansion in provision so that potentially any parent can access a class in their area. The trial is also looking at what parents want from parenting support, what produces the best results and what motivates families to take up an offer of a parenting class. A fourth trial area is also being developed in Bristol, where families will be encouraged to attend parenting classes but without a cash incentive.

SPREAD THE WORD

Early years practitioners in the three trial areas have a vital role to play in providing parents with information about the initiative, and here's how:

Talk to parents

As practitioners, a regular point of contact for many families, parents will appreciate your taking the time to learn about their lifestyles, home life and any concerns they might be having. This might also have the added benefit of anticipating any concerns that arise and recommending parenting classes as an initial step to finding a solution to their problems. All parents struggle at times, even if they don't have clear 'issues' and you can help these parents see that there is no embarrassment in accessing this free resource in the three trial areas.

Explain the benefits of parenting classes

Many parents often believe parenting classes to be an admission of failure. This is not the case and parents should be made aware of the fact.

A recent YouGov survey found that 69 per cent of adults aged 25 to 39 agreed or strongly agreed that all parents should receive information on how to access high-quality parenting classes. Similarly, a 2010 survey of parents conducted for the DfE found that 85 per cent of parents with children under three had sought more help or support with parenting issues in the previous year, alongside about three-quarters of parents of older children. With these points in mind, the potential demand for parenting classes is clearly huge and this should be emphasised to any parents who seem reticent to become involved.

Be a signpost to classes

Many parents will be unaware of where exactly they can go to find help, so for a full list of voucher distributors in the trial areas direct them to: www.canparent.org.uk or, for more general information on the trial, to: www.foundationyears.org.

Classes are running and available for booking across all three trial areas, and staff working in local children's centres and GP surgeries, midwives and health visitors will also be getting the message out.

Sue Robb is head of early years at 4Children.

MORE INFORMATION

To find out more about where a parent can collect a voucher and the range of parenting providers and classes that are available locally, visit www.canparent.org.uk or tel: 0845 601 5833.