ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by considering the role of parenting and parenting styles in the lives of children and their importance to child development as well as their overall outcomes across the life course. Influences on parenting at both the micro and macro levels are detailed particularly in terms of the social determinants of parenting and changing cultural environments. The chapter reviews the range of supports available to all parents, as well as their types, levels, orientations, principles and goals. Consideration is also given to supporting parents engaged in formal children and family services, which encompasses those involved in child welfare and protective services and includes associated challenges. The importance of parental participation practices, its benefits to parents and service delivery generally are also detailed in this chapter, with the chapter concluding with the provision of a conceptual pathway for understanding and providing parental support in a participatory way.
