Parents Matter

"Parents are one of the most important influences in positive child and youth development, yet too many caregivers lack the support they need. By strengthening parents and their connections to resources, communities can help children thrive."

"Parents Matter
Parent/caregivers matter because a caring, strong parent-child relationship is an essential ingredient in development."

"How Parent/Caregivers Matter
Parenting comes with a myriad of roles, often performed with no or little formal training. Their primary caregiving roles are providing sustenance, stimulation, support, structure, and surveillance. At a minimum, these functions assure basic survival. When parent/caregivers are proficient in these five areas, children and youth thrive."

"...providing mental health services and parent training to individuals is only a partial solution; to sustain gains in child development and well-being, the adverse conditions must be altered."

From:
Family Strengthening Policy Center, Policy Brief, An Initiative of the National Human Services Assembly. The Parenting Imperative: Investing in Parents so Children and Youth Succeed, Policy Brief No. 22.