Equality, diversity, inclusion & equity (EDIE)
As part of Foundations’ commitment to promoting equality, diversity, inclusion and equity (EDIE) in our work, our evidence review examined the effectiveness of parenting programmes for supporting different populations of parent carers and disabled children and young people. We also looked at the experiences and views of different populations of parent carers and disabled children and young people regarding the usefulness of parenting programmes.
The different groups of parent carers and children and young people included in the evidence
Our evidence review included evidence involving different populations of parent carers and children and young people. The review explored factors that may impact access to parenting programmes and outcomes, including parent carer’s and child or young person’s:
- Place of residence
- Race/ethnicity/language
- Gender/sex
- Parent carer’s occupation
- Ages
- Type of disability
- Religion
- Family’s socio-economic status
- Sexual orientation.
Our evidence review found that most of the studies evaluating the impact of parenting programmes involved mothers as primary caregivers, with only a few studies identifying fathers and grandparents as primary caregivers. Where reported, the age of caregivers ranged from 20 to 67 years old, and the age of children and young people involved in programmes ranged from 0 to 25 years old. However, parenting programmes usually targeted families of children in the early years (0–5 years old) or those aged 6–12 years old.
The evidence shows that for most studies that reported the gender of the children and young people involved in parenting programmes, the majority involved parent carers of male children, particularly in studies focussing on autistic children and children diagnosed with – or showing characteristics of – Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or autism. Other types of disabilities reported included cerebral palsy, hearing impairment, language impairment, intellectual disability, and acquired brain injury.
For studies that reported on the ethnicity and socio-economic status of families involved in parenting programmes, most of them involved caregivers from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and the majority of the families involved in parenting programmes were from White backgrounds. Other ethnicities reported include African American, African, Asian, Indian, Pakistani, Caribbean, and mixed heritage. While these ethnicities do not reflect the variety of ethnicities in the UK, we recognise that there are both similarities and differences with the experiences of parent carers and disabled children and young people in the UK. These experiences may be influenced by factors such as community support systems, cultural backgrounds, and socio-economic status.
We found limited evidence of studies that have reported on some population characteristics such as religion and sexual orientation.
Effectiveness of programmes for particular groups of parent carers and children and young people
Our evidence review assessed the effectiveness of parenting programmes for particular groups of parent carers and children and young people, and differences in programme effectiveness across different population groups. The different characteristics explored included type of disability and the age of children and young people.
The evidence shows that parenting programmes are effective in improving outcomes for children and young people across all types of disabilities assessed in our evidence review. The evidence also shows that parenting programmes, particularly those addressing behaviours that challenge, are most effective in improving outcomes for children aged 0–5 years old, highlighting the benefits of early intervention. However, parenting programmes that address behaviours that challenge were found to be effective in improving outcomes (e.g., parental wellbeing) for parent carers of disabled children and young people across all ages.
There was limited evidence about the effectiveness of parenting programmes for different ethnic groups of parent carers and children and young people, particularly those from minoritised ethnic backgrounds. There was also limited evidence about the differences in effectiveness of programmes for male and female children and young people.
Experiences of different populations of parent carers
The qualitative evidence shows that male and female caregivers experience parenting programmes differently, as mothers were more likely to engage in parenting support and attend sessions. This contributed to an imbalance between the caregivers’ knowledge and confidence when parenting their disabled child or young person and puts further responsibility onto one caregiver. Female parent carers who attended parenting programmes sometimes reported feeling burnt out and responsible for the entire family’s functioning, while some male caregivers expressed frustration about being ‘left out’. The evidence shows that both male and female parent carers appreciate parenting programmes that involve both parent carers, and when practitioners were confident engaging with fathers and male caregivers.
The evidence also shows that some parent carers from minoritised ethnic backgrounds identified parenting programmes involving peer support as an enabler to engagement, as it helped reduce feelings of isolation and stigma associated with their child’s disability. Parent carers reported that they found peer support particularly beneficial when they were matched with other parent carers who were from similar backgrounds as them.
Parent carers also identified economic uncertainty and the demands of paid work as a barrier to engaging in parenting programmes. Both female and male parent carers from a variety of ethnic backgrounds stated that work demands made it more challenging for them to engage in parenting support, with parent carers engaged in shift work specifically highlighting these difficulties. Long working hours were identified as a reason for non-attendance at parenting support sessions, as well as impacting on parent carers’ motivation and energy to engage in implementing new parenting practices. Where one parent worked longer hours – often the male parent – this usually meant that the main responsibility of parenting and engaging in parenting support fell to the other parent, who could feel isolated and lacking in motivation. To facilitate engagement, parenting support should be sensitive to these factors and be creative in supporting families from low socio-economic backgrounds to engage with parenting support in a way that is accessible. This can include holding sessions at different times, including evenings.
