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4HERELATIONSHIPBETWEENPARENTINGANDPOVERTY
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(UNTER0OLICY2ESEARCH"UREAU

5NDERSTANDINGISLIMITEDREGARDINGWHETHERANDHOWFAR@GOODPARENTINGMEDIATESTHE

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4HEOVERALLCONCLUSIONISTHATTHEREISNOCLEAR CUTCAUSALLINKBETWEENPOVERTYAND

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■ 0ROBLEMSHAVEBEENSHOWNTOINCREASEWHENLOW INCOMEFAMILIESSUFFERSTRESS

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WHENFAMILIESENJOYSOCIALSUPPORTFROMFAMILYFRIENDSORNEIGHBOURS

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CIRCUMSTANCESANDMORELIKELYTOUSECOERCIVEANDHARSHMETHODSOFDISCIPLINE
%VENSOSOMETHEORISTSMAINTAINTHATSTRESSISLESSIMPORTANTTHANA@CULTURE
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4HECHAINOFEVENTSSUGGESTEDBYRESEARCHSHOULDNOTBESEENASDETERMINISTIC!T
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3TUDIESSUGGESTINANYCASETHATMOSTPARENTSLIVINGINRELATIVEPOVERTYLIKETHOSELIVING

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■ 3OMEMAYLACKPARENTINGCAPACITYBECAUSEOFPERSONALCHARACTERISTICSORTHEIROWN

BACKGROUND4HESEFACTORSALSOMAKETHEMLESSSUCCESSFULINTHELABOURMARKET
MAKINGITMORELIKELYTHEYWILLBEFINANCIALLYDISADVANTAGED

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BUTONFALLINGINTOPOVERTYANDDEPRIVATIONEXPERIENCEMENTALHEALTHDIFFICULTIESOR

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4HEREISMUCHSTILLTOBELEARNEDABOUTTHEDYNAMICSOFLIFTINGFAMILIESOUTOFPOVERTY
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"ARRIERSTOINCLUSIONANDSUCCESSFULENGAGEMENTOFPARENTSIN
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)LAN+ATZ5NIVERSITYOF.EW3OUTH7ALES 6INCENT,A0LACAAND3ARAH(UNTER0OLICY
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%NGAGEMENTANDINCLUSIONAREPARTICULARLYIMPORTANTFORPREVENTIVESERVICESSUCHAS
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EDUCATIONSOCIALSERVICESYOUTHJUSTICEANDLEISUREnHAVESUCCESSFULLYOVERCOMETHEM
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■ #OMMONREASONSFORLIMITEDENGAGEMENTBYPARENTSINCLUDE

n ALACKOFKNOWLEDGEOFLOCALSERVICESANDHOWTHEYCOULDHELP
n UNSUITABLEORINCONVENIENTLOCATIONS
n DIFFICULTIESREACHINGSERVICESINCLUDINGTRANSPORTTIMEPRESSURESAND
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n COSTSFEESAREASELF EVIDENTDISINCENTIVE
n SUSPICIONANDSTIGMAINCLUDINGPERCEPTIONSOFTHEORGANISATIONPROVIDING
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ABUSER
n FEARSOVERPRIVACYANDCONFIDENTIALITYINCLUDINGCONCERNSABOUTSHARINGTHEIR
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n UNCO ORDINATEDSERVICES
n THEOVERALLCULTUREOFSOMESERVICESINCLUDINGA@RISKAVERSEFOCUSON
PROTOCOLSTARGETSFINANCIALCONSTRAINTSANDFEARSOFADVERSEMEDIAATTENTION
n RESISTANCETOSERVICESARISINGFROMPARTICULARNEEDSSUCHASMENTALILLNESS
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 ■ 'ROUPSOFPARENTSTHATARELESSLIKELYTOACCESSSUPPORTSERVICESTHANOTHERS

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n $ISABLEDPARENTS
n 0ARENTSOFTEENAGERS
n "LACKANDMINORITYETHNIC"-% FAMILIES
n !SYLUM SEEKINGPARENTS
n (OMELESSORPERIPATETICFAMILIES
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4HEISSUEOFACCESSFORDISABLEDPARENTSHASRECEIVEDGREATERRECOGNITIONASARESULT
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4HEREISALSOEVIDENCETHATMAINSTREAMPREVENTIVESERVICESFAILTOENGAGEFATHERS-ANY
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0ARENTSLIVINGINPOVERTYWITHTHEGREATESTNEEDSARECOMMONLYTHEPARENTSLEASTLIKELY
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2ESEARCHINTO@GOODPRACTICESUGGESTSTHATPOLICY MAKERSANDPRACTITIONERSCANAIMTO
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■ CHOOSINGACCESSIBLEVENUESANDUSER FRIENDLYTIMESFORSERVICEDELIVERY

■ TRUSTINGRELATIONSHIPSBETWEENFRONT LINESTAFFANDSERVICEUSERS
■ ANINTERACTIVESTYLEINVOLVINGPARENTSINDECISION MAKING

■ A@VISIBLEMIXOFSERVICEDELIVERYSTAFFINCLUDINGAGEGENDERANDETHNICDIVERSITY


 MOREIMPORTANTTHANACHIEVINGAPRECISEMATCHBETWEENTHECHARACTERISTICSOF
SERVICEUSERSANDSTAFF
■ OVERCOMINGPREJUDICEESPECIALLYINRELATIONTODISABILITYANDPOORMENTALHEALTH

ASSUMPTIONSTHATMENTALILLNESSANDLEARNINGDIFFICULTIESARERISKFACTORSFORCHILD
ABUSEANDNEGLECTHAVECREATEDADISINCENTIVEFORPARENTSTOENGAGEWITHSERVICES
■ USEOFTRAINEDSTAFFINPARENTINGSUPPORTSERVICES

■ PROMOTIONOFINFORMALSOCIALNETWORKSAMONGSERVICEUSERSASWELLASFORMAL

SUPPORTTHROUGHSERVICES
■ PROVIDINGINFORMATIONFORPARENTSWHICHISLOCALLYCONTEXTUALLYANDCULTURALLY

SPECIFICANDTARGETEDTOWARDSDIFFERENTCOMMUNITIES

&ULLVERSIONSOFALLTHEREPORTSSUMMARISEDHEREAREAVAILABLEFORFREEDOWNLOADFROM
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7RITTENBY$AVID5TTING

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0UBLISHEDBYTHE*OSEPH2OWNTREE&OUNDATION4HE(OMESTEAD7ATER%ND

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