ISSA Contributes to Discussion on Improving Support for Parenting and Work-Life Balance

Aija Tuna, ISSA Program Director, was invited to represent ISSA in the workshop on Developing Support to Parents through Early Childhood Services organized by theEuropean Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditionson November 27, 2009 in Brussels. This foundation is an autonomous body of the European Union, created to assist in the formulation of future policy on social and work-related matters.

The workshop aimed to look at how early childhood services are providing parents/care-givers with educational and social support, and how these services can contribute to more effective parenting. Policymakers and experts working in the field were invited to present and discuss good practice examples, further elaborating and adding to the background paper “The role of early childhood services in education and social supports to parents” prepared by Dr. John Bennett.

Workshop was opened and moderated by Robert Anderson, Head of Unit, Living Conditions and Quality of Life, European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. He emphasized that in today’s situation when the well-being of families and children is challenged, action is needed from different stakeholders to provide maximum support through well-coordinated policies and their implementation. It was also mentioned that the new focus calls for increased attention to services for school-age children, as the needs of children and families do not stop when children enter formal compulsory schooling. Issues of social inclusion and cohesion as well as reconciliation of work and family life are still at the core of attention to improve quality of life in Europe.

Olivier Thevenon, Social Policy Division, Family Database, OECD, provided rich information on available data, research and synthesis, such as “Babies and Bosses”, “Starting Strong I and II”, “Doing Better for Children” etc.  OECD Family Database includes 52 indicators categorised under 4 broad headings: family composition and fertility trends, policies supporting families, labour market outcomes, and children outcomes (health, educational achievement, risky behaviour) and can suggest areas of concerns as well as good practices.

Fanny Voitzwinkler, Children’s Rights and Family Policies Unit, ‘Building a Europe for and with Children’ Programme, Council of Europe, presented programs developed by the Council of Europe. She emphasized that the key issue is to support parents in the best interest of the child. Thus, the definition of good parenting includes “parental behaviour based on the best interest of the child, that is nurturing, empowering, non-violent and provides recognition and guidance, which involves setting of boundaries to enable the full development of a child”. As parenting is a stressful enterprise for any individual and family, it is important to avoid labelling parents and programs, and instead to provide support for all and see it as a powerful tool for social cohesion.

Margy Whalley, the founder of the Pen Green Centre for Children and Families, UK shared successful experience of community-based initiatives and emphasized that “professionals have to get down from their pedestals” to where families are, listen to them and involve them without  “othering” and further marginalizing. It was also emphasized that it is impossible to implant a program (no matter how successful) in another place; each program has to be designed and adapted according to the situation and needs of the particular community and individuals.

During workshop discussions, Léna Szilvási from Sure Start Programme, Hungary, Vibeke Bing, Founder of Organisation for Promotion of Family Centres, Sweden, Maria Eracleous, Pedagogical Institute, Ministry of Education, Cyprus, Veronica Nilsson, European Federation of Public Service Unions, Steen Rasmussen, Local Government /Danish CEEP section and others, shared their experiences and approaches. In conclusion Dr. John Bennett stressed that the need for more support to parents is obvious but it should not be 19th century type of support with moralization, especially about the role and responsibilities of mothers.

ISSA is pleased to be involved in and contribute to this initiative, especially since developing partnerships with families has always been at the very core of the Step by Step approach and is strongly incorporated in ISSA’s understanding of quality ECD, synthesised in Competent Teachers of the 21st Century: ISSA’s Definition of Quality Pedagogy. In addition to resources related to ISSA’s principles of quality pedagogy, the ISSA network is also able to offer other relevant resources, such as the activity kits for families Opening Magic Doors: Reading and Learning together with Children, the materials developed and implemented in partnership with OSI: Parenting with Confidence and Getting Ready for School, as well as the experience of the network in setting up and running community-based programs.

For more information about the workshop contact Aija Tuna or visit: www.eurofound.europa.eu.