Press release

7 September 2009

The forgotten parent?

A new report launched today by the Local Wellbeing Project, Parenting and wellbeing: knitting families together argues that parenting support often fails because it ignores the wellbeing of parents themselves.

Happy parents tend to be better parents. However the report found that the majority of government funded parenting support, both voluntary and compulsory, does not prioritise parents' mental health and wellbeing. Instead if focuses only on the technical skills of parenting, and tackling children's behaviour problems.

Britain has been dubbed ‘a nation of bad parents' following the recent OECD report that exposed the UK's high levels of teenage pregnancy, drunkenness and unemployment. Parenting and wellbeing argues that the significant increase in public spending on parenting services in the last decade has not put enough priority on parents' need to thrive.

Family life can be fraught. One mother interviewed for the report told her story: ‘everything I see on television and everything I read makes parenting sound like such a nightmare... soon the nightmare was happening in my own home'.

Parenting and wellbeing, finds that good parenting support programmes can build wellbeing, by:
• improving relationships between parents and children
• helping parents develop stronger social networks and a sense of belonging
• improving the relationships between parents
• increasing adult resilience and ability to cope with other problems.

The report draws on extensive national and international research, and a detailed investigation of parenting support in three very different parts of England: Hertfordshire, South Tyneside and Manchester.

Parenting and Wellbeing recommends a range of approaches including involving parents, carers and children and young people in the design of family support. The government should establish a fund to encourage innovation in parenting support for projects aimed at all parents, not just those facing acute problems.

Geoff Mulgan, Young Foundation Director, states: ‘the recession means that more families are coming under heavy stress from unemployment and financial worries. This report shows that its not wise just to make parents feel guilty - instead the practical skills on how to be good parents need to be linked to the equally practical skills many people need to avoid depression and despondency'.

Andrew Cozens, Strategic Adviser at the IDeA, partners in the Local Wellbeing project says, "A key value of this report is how it highlights that parenting support is not just of value in its own right, but is also part of a bigger set of issues." He continues, "Numerous social and emotional issues interact with each other. Parenting support has to tie in with support to children and grandparents and consider the wellbeing of the whole family. Also, it is not just about functional outcomes like reducing anti-social behaviour, but about helping people live happy and meaningful lives, which is of value in its own right. This report is an important contribution to debate on those issues."

Dorit Braun, former Chief Executive of the Charity Parentline Plus says: ‘As a parent, grandparent and a person who has worked in parenting support for many years, I welcome this report. To really make a lasting difference, parenting support has to be about more than improving the behaviour of the child. If the whole family is to receive lasting benefit, parenting support must also address the wellbeing of the adults who care for that child, enable parents to develop their understanding and skills of working through relationships difficulties, and validate, promote and develop the informal community based support that parents can give each other'

For more information please contact Nina Mguni, Associate at nina.mguni@youngfoundation.org or on 020 8821 2844 or Helen Crumley, Events and Communications Manager at the Young Foundation on 020 8709 9265/ 07909 912 444 or helen.crumley@youngfoundation.org

Notes to Editors:

• The full report Parenting and Wellbeing: Knitting families together is available in PDF format from the Young Foundation website (www.youngfoundation.org).

• The Local Wellbeing Project at The Young Foundation, in partnership with Lord Richard Layard, from the LSE's Centre for Economic Performance and IDeA is undertaking groundbreaking research to identify how local interventions can influence and promote local wellbeing in local communities, increasingly seen as a metric of good governance.

• The Local Wellbeing Project is a unique initiative launched in 2006 which aims to test out practical ways of improving both individual and community wellbeing and resilience in three very different areas of the UK - Hertfordshire, Manchester and South Tyneside. The project brings together the three local authorities with the Young Foundation, one of the world's leading centres for practical social innovation; Professor Lord Richard Layard from the LSE's Centre for Economic Performance, who has led much of the debate about promoting happiness in public policy, and the Improvement and Development Agency, leaders in local government innovation. It is also backed by the key government departments, including Department for Children Schools and Families; Communities and Local Government; Department of Health; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; National Apprenticeship Service, and the Audit Commission.

• Parenting support is one of seven strands of work under the Local Wellbeing Project. The others focus on: promoting emotional resilience among 11-13 year olds; promoting emotional resilience among older people; apprenticeship pathfinders - young people's progress through 16-19 year old transition; neighbourhood and community empowerment; environmental sustainability and measuring wellbeing.

• The recent OECD report, Doing Better for Children, compares child wellbeing across all 30 member countries. The report highlights the level of public spending on children and assesses how effective social and family policies are in contributing to child wellbeing.

• The Young Foundation is a centre for social innovation based in London, with a 50 year track record of success in creating new organizations ‐ public, private and non‐profit ‐ as well as influencing ideas and policies. For further information: www.youngfoundation.org.

ENDS