ABSTRACT
The most important and probably the most influential setting for childhood is the home environment, whether that setting is with the child’s natural or adoptive parent(s), reconstituted families, carers, extended family members, foster parents or within the supervision of the state (children in care). But what do we mean when we refer to the parenting role and why is there such a burgeoning contemporary interest in parenting within government policy, the media and the general public?
