Of all the potentially modifiable environmental risk and protective factors that can change the course of children’s development, none is more important than the quality of parenting children receive. To highlight the pervasive influence parents have on their children’s development and life opportunities, this chapter examines the many aspects of child development that are influenced by parents. Parents’ capacity to raise their children well is, in turn, influenced by a range of potentially modifiable social, emotional, relational, and contextual factors. These factors are explored, and the implications of each determinant with respect to the provision of parenting support are noted. Parenting programs provide a common pathway to positively influence diverse child and parent outcomes. It is argued that a comprehensive, need-responsive, and population-based system of parenting support is required to promote nurturing communities that will optimally assist parents in raising their children.
Methodology for Establishing a Population-Based Birth Cohort Focusing on Couple Fertility and Children's Development, the Upstate KIDS Study
