Parenting interventions to promote early child development in the first three years of life: A global systematic review and meta-analysis
Parents are the primary caregivers of young children. Responsive parent–child relationships and parental support for learning during the earliest years of life are crucial for promoting early child development (ECD). We conducted a global systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of parenting interventions on ECD and parenting outcomes.
WHO guidelines on parenting interventions to prevent maltreatment and enhance parent–child relationships with
children aged 0–17 years: Report of the reviews for the WHO-INTEGRATE framework
This set of reviews addresses questions about the societal implications of parenting interventions, based on the WHO-INTEGRATE evidence to decision framework (Rehfuess et al., 2019). This evidence, will inform the WHO Guideline on Parenting Programmes to Prevent Child Maltreatment and Promote Positive Development in Children aged 0-17 Years. It will allow the Guideline Group to contextualise the main evidence of effectiveness from the systematic reviews, in the light of broader questions about acceptability, balance of benefit and harms, feasibility, and societal, economic, equity and human rights implications of parenting interventions. We use a combination of approaches to review the evidence including systematic, mixed-methods, qualitative, and narrative reviews of quantitative and qualitative primary studies, human rights based-analysis, and overviews of existing reviews.
World Health Organization Guidelines on Parenting Interventions to Prevent Maltreatment and Enhance Parent–Child Relationships with Children aged 0-17 Years: Report of the Systematic Reviews of Evidence
This report provides evidence on the effectiveness of parenting interventions across different contexts and populations. The findings of this report will inform the decisions of the WHO Guideline Development Group for guidelines on parenting to prevent child maltreatment and promote positive development in children aged 0–17 years. We systematically summarized the evidence on the effectiveness of parenting interventions using systematic reviewing as the predominant method. In total, we conducted two main systematic reviews, two systematic sub- reviews and one narrative review.
A Systematic Review of Parenting Programmes for Young Children in Low and Middle Income Countries
This research paper provides an extensive and rigorous systematic review of ECD parenting programmes conducted in LMIC, addressing the knowledge gap and providing evidence for better programming for children and families.
Review and Analysis of Lessons Learned from Existing Positive Parenting Programmes in East Asia and the Pacific
This Review and analysis of lessons learned from existing positive parenting programmes in East Asia and the Pacific (‘The Review’) builds upon momentum generated through UNICEF’s June 2016 Regional Conference on Parenting Support Interventions for Violence Prevention and its call for an analysis of learning with regards to the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and scale-up of existing parenting support interventions in the region. The purpose of this Review is to provide guidance to key stakeholders at national level who are engaged in or responsible for promoting parenting interventions as they plan, design
Promoting Positive Parenting: Lessons from Programmes in East Asia and the Pacific – Case Studies
Working in coordination with UNICEF EAPRO and country offices, Maestral International conducted a review of parenting programmes in East Asia and the Pacific. The overall goal was to examine the landscape and typology of existing parenting programmes and provide guidance on the design, implementation and scale up of effective parenting programmes with a focus on those reducing harsh child rearing practices and creating an enabling environment for nurturing care, services, and policies for children and their families. In carrying out this objective, a team of Maestral consultants conducted field visits to observe programmes in
Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Timor Leste and Viet Nam. Key informant interviews and desk reviews of programme in the Philippines and Papua New Guinea were also conducted.
Philanthropic Funding for Parent, Caregiver, and Family Support Programs in the Global South
The evidence is clear that from the moment a child is conceived, they need their parents, caregivers, and/or families to survive, thrive, and meet their developmental potential. Earlier this year, the ECFG Parenting & Family Strengthening interest group identified the need to understand philanthropic investments that support the adults whose behaviors, skills, and well-being impact children’s development. ECFG commissioned this exercise to map foundation investments in parenting and caregiving across the Global South. This mapping explores the who, what, when, where, and how of these investments.
Regional Mapping and Scoping Report Parenting Support Interventions Middle East & North Africa Region
The overall purpose of the regional mapping and scoping exercise is to increase cross-country learning by providing a general overview of the parenting landscape in the MENA region as well as reviewing selected interventions that meet criteria associated with parenting programming effectiveness. This report summarises the findings of this exercise, highlighting examples of parenting interventions that are being implemented across the region and case studies that reflect different aspects of parenting interventions across the life cycle. In view of the Jordan-specific focus of the consultancy, a more detailed case study on Jordan’s Better Parenting Programme is also presented in this report. Specific recommendations are highlighted at the end of each section and are summarised again at the end of the report. These recommendations are intended to inform discussions on strategic objectives and key priority interventions around parenting support in the MENA region as well as concrete actions needed to support countries in their programming. This will be followed by the development of a MENA-specific Strategic Framework for Action, Road Map and Practical Guide on parenting support programming.
Designing Parenting Programmes for Violence Prevention: A Guidance Note
This Guidance Note has been developed to support UNICEF and their partners to support and implement parenting interventions that prevent and respond to violence against children. The goal of this Guidance Note is to demonstrate the importance of including violence prevention and response, against children and all forms of gender-based violence, within parenting programmes. It brings together the current evidence and emerging experience of the importance of supporting positive parenting in the prevention of and response to all forms of violence, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries.
Mapping of Parenting Programmes for Adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean
Parenting programmes are considered a key global and evidence-based strategy for violence prevention against children, as well as being a recognised cost-effective tool for improving parental mental health and child behavioural well-being. However, most of the evidence focuses on the early years and/or young children and is limited to high income settings. This report outlines the key findings of the Mapping of parenting programmes for adolescents in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region.
