As the primary duty bearer the family is the main protective unit for children. It is also the main setup where children are taught the necessary life skills that will enable them to become responsible citizens. Mainly parents or guardians play a key role in the physical, social and mental development of children. The family also strongly influences a child’s thinking, reactions and actions. In most parts of the world, over the last decades, this entity is getting weaker and weaker. In the African context, families and communities that used As the primary duty bearer the family is the main protective unit for children. It is also the main setup where children are taught the necessary life skills that will enable them to become responsible citizens.

Mainly parents or guardians play a key role in the physical, social and mental development of children.The family also strongly influences a child’s thinking, reactions and actions. In most parts of the world, over the last decades, this entity is getting weaker and weaker. In the African context, families and communities that used to be deeply involved in a child’s life are continuously weakened due to mostly the daily stresses and challenges that they are faced with.

Thus, the protective effects of the family are continuously declining while the risk factors are on the rise. Research in the lives of children continue to provide mounting evidence that lack of or “poor” parenting contributes to most of the ills that are evident in our societies today.

In addition, the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS and its resulting effects on children has led to the emergence of a new generation of child parents trying to raise their siblings, grandparents raising their grandchildren and more and more guardians/foster parents raising adopted children. These new categories of parents are ill equipped to shoulder the responsibilities that come with parenting. The increase of insecure and unsure parents and other irresponsible guardians has left the child at a very much vulnerable state where it would lack the proper physical, mental and emotional development as well as the necessary protection and care. Unlike most of the developed world where support to parents is widely available, parents in Africa are left to fend for themselves and come up with their own mechanisms or stick to the known/traditional norms of raising children. Thus, the need for more on parenting support and guidelines to ultimately better protect children and enhance their well being.

Parenting in Africa Project

Initiated by The African Child Policy Forum and International Child support, the Parenting in Africa project aims to investigate deep into a possible program where parents and the immediate environment can impart character, value and skills that will ensure that children grow up to becoming responsible adults. It will also deal with policy implementation and budget allocation issues enticing governments to have in place and implement social protection and welfare programmes to compliment other interventions that aim at promoting behavioral change.