This brief reference surveys the national policy of three representative African countries on the legal guardianship of children who are without parents or families. Focusing on the widely varying legal systems of Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, and Uganda, the authors highlight guardianship as emblematic of the continent’s shortcomings in child protection laws. The book’s key objective is bridging the communal aspects of traditional African society with the global standards set forth by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international entities. To this end, the three frameworks discussed here are compared and their strengths and limitations evaluated as applied to child protection standards in terms of core guardianship issues: Holders of parental authority and responsibilities Appointment of a legal guardian Who qualifies as a legal guardian? Responsibilities of a legal guardian in relation to the child Termination of guardianships The primary audience for Perspectives on the Legal Guardianship of Children in Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, and Uganda includes academics, researchers, and students in the fields of children’s rights, human rights, legal guardianship, and international law. It will also prove a useful reference for NGOs that focus on children’s rights, social workers and practitioners operating within the context of these three countries, professionals working within the African human rights system, and governmental law- and policymakers.

Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€"which includes all primary caregiversâ€"are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.

Along with development, parents and children are involved in reciprocal exchanges within which both co-adapt their emerging relationships. With this transactional assumption, the eco-cultural approach stimulates researchers to study parenting from a complex perspective and to consider multiple influences shaping children’s and families’ lives. This book offers a wide, concrete eco-cultural perspective on parenting, addressing current issues such as wellbeing and emotional security, sibling relationships, vulnerable children, family-school partnerships, digital parenting, adolescence and risks, resilience in adversity, and immigration and cultural diversity. Written by researchers from all over the world, the twelve chapters in this volume testify to the strength of the plurality method for approaching parenting.

Through a global, multidisciplinary perspective, this book describes how four factors influence parenting practices: a countries historical and political background, the parent’s educational history, the economy and the parent’s financial standing, and advances in technology. Case studies that illustrate the impact these four factors have on parents in various regions help us better understand parenting in today’s global, interconnected world. Descriptions of parenting practices in countries from Europe, North and South America, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean give readers a contemporary perspective. Both research and clinical implications when working with families from various cultures are integrated throughout. Part I reviews the four major factors that shape parenting practices. Part II features cases written by contributors with extensive experience in parenting practice and research that bring to life the ways in which these four factors influence parenting within their region. Each chapter in Part II follows the same format to provide consistency for comparative purposes: an introduction, historical and political, economic, educational, and societal factors and parenting practices, and a conclusion. Each case reviews: Historical and political factors such as slavery, war, and natural disasters and how these factors impact cultural beliefs, parenting behaviors, and a child’s development Economic factors which impact the capacity for consistent, involved parenting which can result in low IQ, behavioral problems, depression, and domestic conflict and the need to account for financial factors when developing intervention programs Educational levels impact on parenting practices and their children’s achievements Advances in technology and its impact on parenting practices. Intended for graduate or advanced undergraduate courses in families in global context, immigrant families, family or public policy, multiculturalism or cross-cultural psychology, social or cultural development, counseling, social work, or international development taught in human development and family studies, psychology, social work, sociology, anthropology, racial studies, and international relations, this book also appeals to practitioners and researchers interested in family studies and child development and policy and program managers of governments, NGOs, and mental health agencies.

Parenting is a critical influence on the development of children across the globe. This handbook brings together scholars with expertise on parenting science and interventions for a comprehensive review of current research. It begins with foundational theories and research topics, followed by sections on parenting children at different ages, factors that affect parenting such as parental mental health or socioeconomic status, and parenting children with different characteristics such as depressed and anxious children or youth who identify as LGBTQ. It concludes with a section on policy implications, as well as prevention and intervention programs that target parenting as a mechanism of change. Global perspectives and the cultural diversity of families are highlighted throughout. Offering in-depth analysis of key topics such as risky adolescent behavior, immigration policy, father engagement, family involvement in education, and balancing childcare and work, this is a vital resource for understanding the most effective policies to support parents in raising healthy children.

Parenting is a lifelong task and parents are always remaining as a parent. Parenting in the present situation faces many challenges which need to be reviewed and understood with profuse equanimity and alacrity. This book tries to consider the process of parenting in different conditions such as during COVID-19 lockdown, in the refugee camps, and in different cultural structures and economic conditions. Situations that families face due to changing conditions such as global changes which cause lifestyles, immigration patterns, social conflicts, and raising children with developmental disabilities have been discussed. Topics such as professional concern with child care and education, gender roles and caregiving, and father’s involvement in parenting, have been covered in different chapters of the book.