Engagement in parenting programmes

This policy brief examines the barriers and facilitators to participation in parenting programmes in South Africa. Based on interviews with caregivers in Cape Town, it identifies low socio-economic status—specifically transport costs, hunger, and lack of childcare—as the primary structural barriers. Personal barriers include health issues and alcohol abuse, while programmatic barriers involve discomfort with group sharing. Facilitators include family support, a readiness to change, and the 'support group' nature of the sessions. The brief recommends house-to-house recruitment, the provision of shuttle services, childcare, and meals to increase engagement and return on investment.

• Low socio-economic status is the primary structural barrier to parenting programme engagement in South Africa. This manifests most significantly as a lack of money for transport, where parents may be unable to afford the initial cost of travel even if reimbursement is offered. Other poverty-related barriers include hunger, the need to plan food for the family, and a lack of childcare.
• Employment and health issues further hinder participation. Irregular shift work and long working hours make it difficult for parents to commit to set session times and leave them with little energy for programmes during their time off. Additionally, physical or mental illness, the need to collect medication from clinics, and caring for sick family members are significant personal barriers.
• Community-level factors, specifically alcohol abuse, act as a barrier to attendance. In some communities, alcohol is prioritised over family responsibilities and self-care, with abuse peaking at the start of the month following the receipt of social grants.
• Programmatic barriers include discomfort with group dynamics, such as a fear of sharing personal information or feeling that the process is 'playing around'. Conversely, programmatic facilitators include the content and facilitation style, with parents valuing the programmes as 'support groups' that provide a confidential space to vent and share experiences.
• Personal and social facilitators that increase retention include family buy-in—where spouses or other relatives encourage attendance—and a personal readiness to change. High attenders often demonstrate a stronger connection between the programme's aims and their own needs.
• To improve recruitment and retention, the document recommends moving away from written materials or community meetings in favour of house-to-house recruitment. This allows facilitators to build trust, explain the commitment required, and help parents perceive the benefits of the programme.
• Practical support strategies to enhance engagement include providing a shuttle service to overcome transport costs, safety concerns, and bad weather; providing engaging childcare; and offering refreshments or meals, which were specifically noted as an attraction in the SCFP.

APA

Wessels, I., Lester, S., & Ward, C. L. (2016). Engagement in parenting programmes. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolicyBrief82.pdf

Chicago

Wessels, Inge, Soraya Lester, and Catherine L Ward. Engagement in parenting programmes. Institute for Security Studies, 2016. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolicyBrief82.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wessels |first1=Inge |last2=Lester |first2=Soraya |last3=Ward |first3=Catherine L |title=Engagement in parenting programmes |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=March 2016 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolicyBrief82.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wessels2016engagement, author = {Wessels, Inge and Lester, Soraya and Ward, Catherine L}, title = {{Engagement in parenting programmes}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2016}, month = mar, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/PolicyBrief82.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }