Parental Involvement and Multi-Agency Support Services for High-Need Families in France

Abstract

This article examines developments in parenting and family support services in France. Drawing on qualitative empirical studies, the article considers two types of initiatives ‒ the Programmes for Educational Success (PRE) and parenting interventions delivered alongside child protection services. Both of these services are examples of new types of parenting and family support interventions in the French context targeted at ‘children at risk’, seeking to address and prevent problems of educational underachievement, youth offending, poor health in children and young people and child neglect and maltreatment. The article critically reviews tensions between principles of more responsive, partnership-based family support and more prescriptive parenting education and family interventions. Drawing on empirical findings, the article examines frontline practice and professional‒family relationships, highlighting the significance of ‘parental involvement’ practice and conflicting professional and parental perspectives about children's needs, family support and professional–client relationships

Realizing the potential of a strengths‐based approach in family support with young people and their parents

“…Recent research literature on the YAP model highlights the importance of supporting parents directly and indirectly as a way of improving children and young people's outcomes (Brady et al, 2020; Jackson et al, 2021). Join‐Lambert (2016) and Williams and Segrott (2018) have highlighted how in recent decades support services tend to involve parents in the work that is done with their children and build on the strengths and competences of parents themselves to reinforce and develop their parenting roles. Dunst and Trivette (2009) identified that having a family focus, and not just focusing on the child as the unit of intervention, enables parents to acquire the knowledge and skills to be able to cope with daily living and improve their sense of mastery and control.…”

‘Getting with the (troubled families) programme’: a review

“…He (Garrett, 2007: 209–11) identifies similarities between different elements of the original FIPs and approaches used to address ‘asocial families’ in Germany in the 1930s and ‘socially weak’ and ‘anti-social’ families the Netherlands in the 1950s (see also De Regt, 1982; Van Wel, 1992). Projects targeting families – more specifically, parents – that combine elements of family support with some more challenging forms of intervention can also be found in France (Join-Lambert, 2016; Martin, 2015), Germany (Ostner and Stolberg, 2015) and Sweden (Lundqvist, 2015). This international focus on parenting practices in disadvantaged, marginalised, ‘troubled’ or ‘high-need’ families (Join-Lambert, 2016) demonstrates that the increasing political fixation with ‘family’ is not specific to the UK.…”

“…Projects targeting families – more specifically, parents – that combine elements of family support with some more challenging forms of intervention can also be found in France (Join-Lambert, 2016; Martin, 2015), Germany (Ostner and Stolberg, 2015) and Sweden (Lundqvist, 2015). This international focus on parenting practices in disadvantaged, marginalised, ‘troubled’ or ‘high-need’ families (Join-Lambert, 2016) demonstrates that the increasing political fixation with ‘family’ is not specific to the UK. Further discussion of international perspectives can be found in the Useful Sources section of this issue.…”