Mandatory Parenting Classes for Child Welfare Recipients

Photo credit: Getty Images

Source:

Dreyfus, Dr. Edward. "Mandatory Parenting Classes | Psychologically Speaking." Psychologically  

Speaking. 17 July 2011. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.

To view article click here


Summary:

The article by Dr. Dreyfus discusses the benefits of having a mandated 10 week parenting class for every year someone requests government funded child welfare. He states that he knows that this will not guarantee better generations of parents, "I know that simply attending parenting classes is no guarantee of creating effective parents," but he states that some things could stick. It could be the answer to everyone's concerns (Dreyfus).

Quality:

The article quality is good. Dr. Dreyfus is a well educated man who seems to know his material. The article checks out nicely.

Issues:

The article seems to focus on the lower percentile or parents, rather than all parents. I feel if we make an effort to correct an issue, all sides should be covered.

  

Key Words & Phrases:

Welfare
Mandatory
Parenting Classes

Mandatory Parenting Classes for High School Students: Good Idea?

Source:

Anderson, Marie. "Why Would Mandatory Parenting Classes in Schools Be a Good Idea?"                                   Education. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.

To view article click here


Summary:

The article discusses how mandatory parenting classes for all high school students would be very beneficial for the later part of our lives. It would give a level of preparation that would otherwise go without knowing until it was too late. These can be broken down into three practical categories;

Benefits for Teen Parents- The CDC reports that an average of 329797 teens give birth each year ("About Teen..."). "Students learn that caring for a child is an important responsibility that requires maturity, a stable relationship and financial stability," states Marie Anderson the article author. All of which would be taught in the classes (Anderson).

Reducing Child Abuse- Simply put, child abuse/neglect is a result of a lack of knowledge about childhood development. The classes would bring the knowledge needed to inform others of proper care, which would reduce the amount of child abuse/neglect (Rochman).

Breaking the Cycle- It would provide resources that could help end the cycle of abuse, if a current student would need them (Anderson).

Quality:

The quality of this article seems to be good. Several references at the bottom of the page along with a biography of the author to give her ethos a boost. Everything points to being a credible source.

Issues:

The only main issues I have with this article ist that it comes from a ".com" database, as well as the fact that the article is short. More information would have been wonderful.

  

Key Words & Phrases:

Teen Pregnancy
Benefits
Child Abuse
High School


Additional Works Cited 

"About Teen Pregnancy." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control
                      and Prevention, 9 June 2014. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.

Rochman, Bonnie. "Child Abuse Pediatricians Recommend Basic Parenting Classes to Reduce
                  Maltreatment and Neglect | TIME.com." Time. Time, 4 Apr. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2015.

They F*** You Up, Your Parenting Classes

Photo by: Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images

Source:

Sandeman, Jane. "They F*** You Up,  Your Parenting Classes." They F*** You Up,  Your Parenting                    Classes. 8 Aug. 2011. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.

To view article click here


Summary:

In this article Jane Sandeman addresses a UK report about mandatory parenting classes. Her article talks about the defining "Make-it-or-break-it" point in a child's life that supposedly determines rather he or she will become a functioning member of society. This powerful point is not determined by their economic background or even education, but the quality of stimulation and nutrition a child receives in the 'early years.'

In the eyes of Sandeman, the government is calling all parents incapable of providing their children with the essentials to ensure them a good adulthood. Sandeman even continues on to question this theory, "Surely if parents have lost their grip...every child should be taken off its parents at birth and put into a 'Home Learning Environment'..." Sandeman also questions the general government answer which is that it would be best to have mandatory parenting classes for those in the lowest 20% income level.

To do so would be intrusive, stated Sandeman, to the family and very demeaning. Sandeman also researched some facts about the subject. According to that research the main issue is that parenting classes don't work (Sandeman).

The family unit is feared by those higher up. According to Parenting Matters, government hates that family is a law unto itself. The rest covers Sandemans' personal view as to why parenting classes should not be mandatory.     

Quality:

The quality of the website itself could be a little questionable due to the fact that it is a ".com" domain, but the article seems to be of decent quality. Sandeman uses several different sources within her article, as well as the fact that she is a known professional in her field. Earning her degree in 1983 from University of Exeter.

Issues:

The issues are mainly that the article is very opinion-based. Although the research was done, Sandeman allows her personal feelings on the subject to take charge throughout. It is also slightly outdated, but still a good read for those opposing mandatory parenting classes.

  

Key Words & Phrases:

Parenting
Nutrition
Stimulation
Mandatory Parenting

"Parenting Classes, Parenting Behavior, and Child Cognitive Development"

Source:

Chang, Mido, Boyoung Park, and Sunha Kim. Parenting Classes, Parenting Behavior, and  Child    Cognitive Development in Early Head Start: A Longitudinal Model. 1st ed. Vol. 19.  Lincoln: School  Community Journal, 2009. 155-174. Print.

Summary:

      This study evaluated the data from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation (EHSRE), those who looked at the Early Head Start program, and used it to decide whether these classes helped improve the development of the child(Chang, Park, and Kim 155). The Early Head Start (EHS) program is a United States government-run program designed to "[provide] early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development and family support services to low-income infants and toddlers and their families, and pregnant women and their families("About")."

     The research and analysis done by Mido Chang, Boyoung Park, and Sunha Kim concluded that "parents who attended parenting classes stimulated their children's language and cognitive development and provided educational activities more than did parents who did not participate in parenting-classes(Chang, Park, and Kim 155)."

Quality:

     This study is of very high quality. It uses information provided by a government run organization and was published. The three authors, Boyoung Park, Mido Chang, and Sunha Kim all have Ph.D's. Park has earned her Ph.D in early childhood education from the University of Georgia ("Dr. Boyoung Park"); Chang has a Ph.D in Measurement, Evaluation, & Statistics from Teachers College, Columbia University("Mido Chang, Ph.D"); and Kim has earned two Ph.D's, one for Cirriculum and Instruction (Instructional Design and Technology) from Viriginia Tech and one for Educational Research and Evaluation from Virginia Tech("Sunha Kim")

Issues:

     The quality of this study is very good but not perfect. The study is very thorough but was done in 2009 and could be outdated. This study is also a lot to read through for those who are just looking for quick information and could be avoided.

Key Words & Phrases:

Early Head Start
Parenting Classes
Early Head Start Research and Evaluation
Cognitive Development


Works Cited:

"About Early Head Start." About Early Head Start. U.S. Department of Health & Human  Services, 30 Sept. 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

"Dr. Boyoung Park | School of Teacher Education & Leadership | Radford University." Dr.  Boyoung Park | School of Teacher Education & Leadership | Radford University. Radford  University. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.

"Mido Chang, Ph.D." FIU: Florida International University. FIU: Florida International  University. Web. 26 Mar. 2015.

"Sunha Kim." Sunha Kim. University of Buffalo Graduate School of Education. Web. 26 Mar.  2015.

PEP

picture from www.2life.io

Source:

"Who We Are - PEP." PEP. PEP, 1 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

http://pepparent.org/who-we-are/


Summary:
PEP is an organization who want to help parents better understand on how to take care of their child. They claim to be “ a nonprofit, educational organization established in 1982, providing classes, events and other educational resources to parents and all who care for children, toddlers through teens,” (Who We Are). They provide parents and/or caregivers the resources needed such as classes, presentations, and even books.


Quality:

The quality of this article is very good. Information about the organization is easy to find on the website. Pictures of individuals in the program and of families make the website more visually interesting and welcoming. There are links to classes that could be provided to parents. They speak about children of different ages, not just expecting parents. The website is an organization so they are not necessarily trying to sell you things. Instead they seem to want to actually help. PEP also provides percentages and numbers that gives a good logos (logical/ statistic credibility). An example of this is when they stated that “4,000 parents and caregivers received parenting classes,” which was accomplished in 2013 (Who We Are). This website is a good source for the pros of parenting classes.


Issues:

The website is one sided. They do not speak about the negative views about parenting classes. It could also be slightly outdated due to being about two years old. You have to pay for classes, which can be a problem for individuals who do not want to spend. Finding out the information of the cost was difficult to find. They almost fooled me into thinking classes were actually free. After searching PEP’s webpage for a while I finally found a statement saying “Pre Registration with full payment in advance is required for each class or workshop. Enrollment is limited; register early to reserve your space. Each of our multi-week classes offers a comprehensive curriculum designed to be attended in its entirety; therefore, there are no reduced rates for attending fewer sessions of the class,” which was in the Classes and Programs bar at the top under the title called Other, which was called Policies (Who We Are). It was too complicated to find and quite tricky on their part.


Key Words and Phrases:

Parenting

Nonprofit

PEP

Mandatory Classes for Parents

picture from www.priestsforlife.org

Source:

Dreyfus, Edward. "Mandatory Parenting Classes | Psychologically Speaking." Psychologically Speaking. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

http://www.docdreyfus.com/psychologically-speaking/mandatory-parenting-classes/


Summary:

Psychologist Edward A. Dreyfus,Ph.D, talks about how mandatory classes would be a good idea for parents due to the fact that most have no clue or experience on taking care of a child (Dreyfus). Dreyfus states that “We would not think of letting people drive a car without having had some experience behind the wheel and taking a drivers test. But when it comes to raising a child, many people, if not most, have never had any experience caring for a child,” which most people would say is pretty darn true (Dreyfus). Dreyfus also talks about how mandatory classes could be state funded and provided to parents who request government funded welfare payments (Dreyfus).

Quality:

A good ethos (credibility) for this article is the fact that Edward A. Dreyfus does indeed have a Ph.D. This article has many valid points like how we need license for multiple things that are important, but do not need one for taking care of a child (Dreyfus). The article contains statistics about the percentage of the percentage of children that are abused and neglected, which can be used as a good logos (logic/ statistic credibility).

Issues:

The website this article is on is a .com source which is usually for commercial or propaganda use. The psychologist seems to try to persuade people to listen to him and follow his web pages so that he becomes more well known. He has grammar issues, mostly just problems with beginning sentences. He is also quite biased and is totally pro-mandatory parenting classes. He does not talk about the opposite or negative aspects of parenting classes.



Key Words and Phrases:

Psychologist
Mandatory Parenting Classes
State Funded
Effective Parenting

Online Parenting Programs

 picture from www.memonic.com

Source:

"About Our Company." About Co-Parent Education Programs and Parenting Seminars. Extended Learning Center, Inc. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.

https://www.onlineparentingprograms.com/about/our-company.html

Summary:

This website focuses on online parenting programs which benefit both parents and their children. Their mission statement is, “OnlineParentingPrograms.com is dedicated to providing innovative online parent education classes for families in transition. Our programs foster parents learning with opportunities to build, enhance, and modify parenting styles in today’s diverse society,” which explains their main goals (About Our Company). The website contains multiple methods in which parents can contact the provider and schedule for classes.

Quality:

The quality of this website is good. The site is very organized and information can easily be found. The website contains valuable facts about parenting and classes. Writing and lettering is easily readable and stands out. Pictures of families and children catch attention to the viewers and makes the website look as if they know what they are talking about. The organization seems to know what they are speaking of due to the statistics. A good ethos is that it is a big company and that the people who created the site are experienced.

Issues:

The website gives specific percentages for statistics but does not specifically state where that the percentage is coming from. The site can be biased because it only represents one side, pro-parenting classes. Another issue is that individuals must pay for classes if they want to attend one.

Key Words and Phrases:

Online Parenting Classes
Parent Education
Family

National Parenting Education Network

Source:

"About NPEN." National Parenting Education Network. National Parenting Education  Network. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.

Summary:

     The National Parenting Education Network, or NPEN for short, is a service that aims to "advancing the field of parenting education" by providing families with necessary information for their child's healthy development ("About NPEN"). They work together with professions in the parenting education field to improve the quality of what is being taught and to improve the knowledge that these professions will produce to those they teach ("About NPEN").

Quality:

     The NPEN is a reputable source that provides a wide variety of free resources for those wanting to learn more about parenting education and ways that help you raise your children. They also have the option to provide more support with a not-so-expensive paid membership but do not seem too big on pressing for you to pay for it.

Issues:

     This site is extremely biased toward promoting parenting classes and doesn't provide that many reasons of what would happen if you were to not take them or the negative aspects that could possible come along with taking a parenting class.

Key Words and Phrases:

Parenting Classes
Informational Resources
Education for Families

UK Government on Parenting Classes

Source:

Gentleman, Amelia. "Do We Need Parenting Classes?" The Guardian. The Guardian, 30 Mar. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

Summary:

     Gentlemen’s article talks about the introduction of after-birth parenting classes named the “Save the Children scheme” by the UK government (Gentleman). The Save the Children foundation describes themselves as, “Save the Children works in 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfill their potential (“About Us”).”The UK government rolled out these parenting classes after the famous riots that happened in London in 2011 (Gentleman). Gentlemen has quoted “government-commissioned reports [that] have highlighted the need to improve parenting, and have often carried an uncomfortable subtext of blaming parents for children's failures, and sometimes a peculiar conflation of being poor with being a poor parent,” one being from Frank Field and Graham Allen, two “Labour MPs,” which stands for the Members of Parliament representing the Labour Party (Gentleman). While Gentlemen says that the UK is going through these troubles to include parenting classes into their systems, Gentlemen goes on to ask and important question, “But can good parenting be caught, or is it a bit like trying to teach someone to be a good person? (Gentleman)” She follows that question with a personal experience of how she sat through a three-hour parenting session only to remember one little thing and claims that there is no established formula for creating good parents yet. With that being said, she finds those who are convinced that good parenting can be taught, like Octavius Black, founder of Parent Gym but also find those, like Bryson from Save the Children, who define these government programs as “ less about practical parenting tips, more about improving relationships within the family, and between the family, the school and wider community (Gentleman) .”Gentleman goes on to conclude her article by an interview with Angela Edwards, who has taken one of the government course and has learned important things like spending more time with her child. Edwards says that “I know from the teachers that they have seen a change in her. The extra time I'm spending is bringing her on with her reading and writing. I've learned that it doesn't cost anything to spend time with the children; it doesn't matter if you have money or not. I wasn't a bad parent before, but I wouldn't have spent the time," providing an example that a positive for both the adult and the child can be found in parenting classes (Gentleman).


Quality:

     This article by provides good resources for both sides of the parenting classes argument. The Guardian itself is a famous and reputable news agency. The Guardian employs writers of all makes and opinions.


Issues:

     The article itself may be out-dated having being published in 2012. The author does show bias without completely explaining why she had came to that decision, like when she says, “What's interesting about the government's pilot schemes is the different approaches offered by different providers; it's clear there is no established formula for creating good parents yet (Gentleman).”


Key Words and phrases:

UK Government
Save the Children
Teaching Parenting


Works Cited:

"About Us." Save the Children UK. Save the Children UK. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

About STAR

Source:

"About STAR." STAR Parenting What Is STAR? STAR Parenting, 15 Feb. 2007. Web. 21 Mar. 2015.

Click here to view article

Summary:

"About STAR" is an introduction to the STAR approach of child care. It is 5 steps along with 15 tools to guide you through the troubles of parenting. STAR parenting's slogan is "a STAR parent is a growing parent...not a perfect parent" (STAR). The program is meant to guide you through the stages of development and grow as a parent with your child. No parent is perfect, but STAR aims to help make parenting a special, not-so-stressful experience (STAR).

Quality:

The STAR approach provides a very unique, reason-based style of parenting. The program was created by a parent educator named Elizabeth Crary whom is also a writer and speaker. Her first book was written during a time where not much information on parenting was provided making her an important figure in the parenting world. She has written books to guide parents through almost every stage of development which drove her to create the STAR Program which can be applied to all stages of growth. Christina Collins and Robert Fetsch posted a critique of 16 major parenting education systems in the Journal of Extension ranking STAR Parenting as one of the best.

Issues:

While the STAR program offers a unique approach to parenting, the website is fairly outdated. The website has not been updated since 2007, however, that does not mean the information is no longer helpful. When it comes to parenting, any information helps and STAR provides a different approach to childcare worth consideration.

Key Words and Phrases:

Behavior
Classic Issues
Problem-solving process
STAR

Works Cited:

Collins, Christina L., and Robert J. Fetsch. "A Review And Critique Of 16 Major Parent Education Programs." Journal Of Extension 50.4 (2012): 9. Education Research Complete. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

Parenting 101: The Benefits of Parenting Classes

Source:

"Parenting 101: The Benefits of Parenting Classes." Parenting 101 I The Benefits of Parenting Classes. ParentMap, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2015.

Click here to view article

Summary:

This article provides a well rounded explanation of the benefits of taking parenting classes without being pushy or bias. "Parenting 101: The Benefits of Parenting Classes" considers the idea that infant and childcare is changing just as rapidly as everything else in the world and there are many new approaches on how to raise a child. Skimkin, a maternity expert mentioned in the article, states "If you’re informed about the options that are available, you’ll probably discover that you have preferences and will know how to get the kind of care you prefer” (Parenting 101...). With new research and advancements in healthcare we have found there are many ways you can go about raising a child. By taking parenting classes you will expand your knowledge on parenting skills and decide which methods are best for you and your family.

Quality:

ParentMap is a large corporation offering print magazines and webpages for their many subcategories such as "BabyMap" and "LearningMap". In 2013, ParentMap won 4 gold awards from the Parenting Media Association and 2 gold awards in 2014 in areas such as design and content. ParentMap uses information provided by national and local specialists in the field of child development (ParentMap).

Issues:

The only issue with this article is content overload. While the website is extremely informative it can be slightly overwhelming with the many tabs and links provided. If you are searching for something specific, this website can be very beneficial. If you are simply browsing, you might find yourself skimming the webpage for hours reading articles on thousands of different areas related to parenting.


Key Words and Phrases:

Development
Family Education
Savvy Parents Safe Kits

"Parenting Classes: Pros and Cons"

Source:

"Parenting Classes: Pros and Cons." Parenting Classes: Pros and Cons. Health Guidance, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.

Click here to view article

Summary

This article analyzes the pros and cons in general of parenting classes, mainly zoning in on the pros. The article informs readers of the many different types of parenting classes that are offered for the large range of stages a parent might need assistance in. Health Guidance brings up the issue of the "New World" where families don't always live in very close proximity like they use to ( Parenting...). The topic of why individuals might seek help from others outside of the family about parenting advice is discussed in regards to the changing times (Parenting...).

Quality

Health Guidance is a fairly respected source offering many free health articles on their website HealthGuidance.org. They offer articles by many different authors with disclaimers stating it is not medical advice, it is simply a data base for medical-related article. Since it is a database you run the risk of unreliable sources therefore tread lightly if searching important material. However, the website is perfect for advice on topics such as the benefits of parenting classes.

Issues

Considering the source is a data base we run the risk of unreliable sources. The article is also slightly bias toward the pros of parenting classes and doesn't focus much on the cons which is included in the title of the article.

Key Words and Phrases:

Breastfeeding

Emergency Care

First Aid

Modern Parenting