Improving social outcomes for children

Title: Interventions for parents and families: the evidence for improving social outcomes for children
Author: Parenting Research Centre
Commissioned by: The Benevolent Society
Published: March 2016

This Evidence Brief reports on the findings of a rigorous review of systematic reviews. It pulled together the findings of 11 high-quality systematic reviews to report on the impact of family and parenting support programs and home visiting on social outcomes for children. It found good evidence to support the use of parenting programs to improve a range of child social outcomes, such as social skills and competence, and self-control. Overall, the evidence suggests that it is worthwhile investing in family and parenting support interventions, particularly for younger children and developmentally vulnerable children.

Key findings

• There is good evidence to support the use of parenting and family support interventions to improve social outcomes for children such as parent-child interaction, children’s social skills and social competence, emotional stability, and self-control.
• Parenting and family support interventions may be useful for addressing social problems in children that are secondary to a developmental vulnerability.
• Benefits seem to be greater for younger rather than older children.

Learn more

• Read the Evidence Brief
• Read the associated brief looking at improving emotional outcomes for children