HO 2.1c CW Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
HO 2.1c CW Knowledge of Parenting and Child Development
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to learn by doing.
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KNOWLEDGE OF PARENTING AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT: ACTION SHEET
Your role as a caseworker
Each contact you have with the family provides an important opportunity to link them to parenting resources, provide child
development information and model and validate effective caregiving. You can:
• Connect parents to parenting education classes or home visiting as part of case planning
• Model appropriate expectations for the child
• Engage caregivers in dialogue when their expectations are not in line with the child’s developmental phase
• Underline the importance of nurturing care to help the caregiver in valuing the importance of their own role
• Provide “just in time” parenting education: information a parent needs at the time when parenting issues arise
• Help the caregiver identify a series of trusted informants that they can turn to when they need parenting
information
Questions to ask
• What does your child do best and what do you like about your child?
• What do you like about parenting? What do you find challenging about parenting?
• How have you learned about parenting skills?
• How do you continue to learn about your child’s development?
• What has helped you learn about yourself as a parent?
• Are there things that worry you about your child’s development or behavior?
• Have other people expressed concern about your child?
• Ask the parent what their hopes and dreams are for their child(ren). Discuss any worries the parent has about
ensuring those hopes and dreams are met. Then discuss what the parent is doing today (or wants to do) to help
achieve those hopes and dreams.
• Identify a particular parenting task the parent finds challenging (e.g., mealtimes, putting the child to bed). Provide
the parent with information on strategies for this task. Ask them to practice these strategies and debrief on your
next visit.
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