A commitment to parenting

By cypscAdmin, Monday, 13th March 2017 | 0 comments
Filed under: Parenting Support, Implementation.

Each and every CYPSC in Ireland is committed to strengthening parenting support in their area.  This stems from a well-established recognition by CYPSC of positive parenting for improving outcomes for children and young people.

With the publication of the national policy framework for children and young people, Better Outcomes Brighter Futures, the CYPSC role in delivering on parenting support has become more prominent; one of the Government commitments in Better Outcomes Brighter Futures being to “Ensure planning and co-ordination of parenting supports at local level through CYPSC.” (G2, BOBF, Pg28)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CYPSC practice under this theme has been evolving over time.  A stock take of this practice was undertaken by the CYPSC Co-ordinators’ National Network[1] in order to identify how CYPSC are responding to this Commitment and in order to share the learning across all CYPSC.

So how are CYPSC across Ireland responding to this commitment? 

What emerged through discussions across CYPSC is a stepped approach by CYPSC to the planning and co-ordination of parenting supports; comprising of four stages, depicted below.  Depending on the specific Parenting Support needs identified in a county the CYPSC will move through these stages focussing its efforts on each of the stages at an intensity appropriate to local need. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CYPSC approach to the planning and co-ordination of parenting supports

 

This entails the organising of multiple agencies, stakeholders and interested parties around the theme of Parenting Support.  This often takes the form of a dedicated Parenting Support Sub Group or a Parenting Forum.  It can also lead to the development of a multi-agency Parenting Strategy for the CYPSC area.

 

A CYPSC will carry out a mapping of parenting support provision in the county / CYPSC area.  This means gathering information on who or what organisation is providing parenting support already and what type of parenting support they are providing.  It will also establish an understanding of where gaps or overlaps in the provision for parenting support might be.

 

Having developed a sound picture of what the provision of parenting support looks like in the CYPSC area a CYPSC may decide to increase awareness within the CYPSC area of that parenting support provision amongst service providers and within the general population.  A CYPSC may identify a need to promote an increase in the take up or use of parenting supports also.  In these circumstances CYPSC have developed dissemination tools such as a local directory of parenting supports, a parenting support information website for the county or a Calendar of parenting support programmes for the county. Select a county to see examples, Donegal, Kildare and Limerick

 

In some counties CYPSC have moved through the stages above and collectively decided to directly support the delivery of evidence based or evidence informed parenting programmes and parent & toddler groups.

If you are interested in contributing to the planning and co-ordination of parenting supports in your area you can get in touch with your local CYPSC to find out what is already happening and connect in.

 

[1] The CYPSC Co-ordinators’ National Network is convened and facilitated by the National Co-ordinator for CYPSC.  Its purpose is to support CYPSC Co-ordinators in their implementation role, assisting them to locate their work within a national context and providing a forum for knowledge exchange and peer support to ensure coherence and a common approach across CYPSC.

 

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