Children & Parenting: Self-help, not sin bin

Written by Annette Brooke MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Children, Young People and Families and published in The House Magazine on Mon 11th Dec 2006

Liberal Democrats believe that the state has a role in protecting and promoting children's safety and welfare, and encouraging their personal development.

We are not supporters of a nanny state and unnecessary interference in individual family lives. But, where children might lack elements of a secure environment to enable them to develop their full potential, and where government assistance could make a difference, we believe there is a role for state action. And so, we advocate policies to help families create a stable, secure and stimulating environment for their children.

For most people, successful parenting skills are learned from their own experience of family life, and from the advice and support of others, traditionally their parents, extended family and friends. However, parenting is one of the most difficult jobs in society and it makes sense to make training and support available at various stages.

Helping to prepare people for parenthood, and providing them with the tools to put their knowledge into practice - especially in the early years of a child's life - would help to ensure that, as problems arise, families have a better chance of dealing successfully with them.

Support should be non-stigmatised, and not just aimed at problem families. With less support nowadays from the extended family, seeking 'outside support' for parenting skills should be no different from going to the GP when suffering from recurrent bad headaches.

The government's parenting orders have had some success with parents, with some saying they wished they had attended parenting classes at an earlier stage. The conclusion to be drawn is that such courses must be readily available on a voluntary basis, and that compulsion must be a last resort.

There is great value in laying the foundations for healthy relationships in young people before they start to think about forming adult commitments and starting families themselves. The most important influence comes from their own parents, but schools can help to prepare young people for family life by providing non-judgmental guidance on relationships and parenthood, and informing them about the importance of the early years of a child's life.

The Liberal Democrats advocate age-appropriate personal, social and health education as a statutory part of the national curriculum. We would put the emphasis on relationship education, and ensure that it was delivered by professionals and teachers who had undergone appropriate training.

There is a great deal of excellent work going on in communities, in many cases led by Sure Start schemes. However, we would like to see local family support networks operating in all communities to coordinate, map and publicise available programmes for families. Such services should be driven by local communities on behalf of local communities.

The role of the state in such circumstances is to act as an enabler, rather than as intervener, through education and through access to information and support.

We also should not ignore the bigger picture, where government policies have a crucial direct impact on families: Ensuring equality of access to high quality childcare and education; maintaining a stable economy and buoyant job market; introducing more flexible working practices (especially for new parents); and addressing child poverty are all vital objectives which must be pursued.