Parent education
Barnardos has many services involved in delivering parent education to families experiencing difficulties in raising their children and
where children are at risk of abuse and neglect.
With a focus on early intervention, ante-natal and post-natal care, family workers are linked with families and visit for periods up to five hours a week, offering support, advice, referral to other services, advocacy and access to other resources.
Workers help parents to improve how they handle stressful situations and offer emotional support and practical assistance. This takes the form of helping to establish and maintain children’s routines, organising child care, advising on alternate ways to parent, advising on age appropriate behaviour and discipline for children, assisting with issues relating to the children’s health and education.
With an increase in skills comes a boost in confidence, and parents are better able to provide adequate care for their children, averting the risk of neglect or abuse.
Most parent education is delivered on an individual basis (e.g. through home visitation programs) but also on occasion through group work.
