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Parent participation based on collaboration with nurses is recognized as an important concept in neonatal care. However, there is a lack of research providing specific strategies to promote parent participation in clinical activities, and there are few studies including both mothers and fathers. The purpose of this study was to develop a Parent Participation Improvement Program for parents in neonatal intensive care units, and to evaluate its effects on parents' partnerships with nurses, attachment to infants, and infants' body weight. The study consisted of two phases. The first phase involved development of the Parent Participation Improvement Program. The second phase, a parallel two-group randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of this program, was conducted from February to August 2017 in the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital in Seoul, South Korea. A total of 66 infants born at <37 weeks gestation, receiving high-flow nasal cannula or less respiratory support, and their 132 parents (66 mothers and 66 fathers) were approached for enrollment in the study. Sixty-six preterm infants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 33 infants/66 parents) or the control group (n = 33 infants/66 parents). Methods King's theory of goal attainment was used as the theoretical framework for this program. A literature review and in-depth interviews were conducted to organize and determine the contents of the program. To evaluate its effectiveness, in the second phase, the intervention group participated in a parent participation program comprised of an individualized interaction stage, a pre-participation stage, and an active-participation stage for two weeks. The control group was allowed routine visits. The Pediatric Nurse Parent Partnership Scale and the Maternal Attachment Inventory scale were employed, and infants were weighed on the same calibrated scale by a researcher. In the final analysis, compared with the control group, both the mothers and fathers in the intervention group reported significantly higher scores in partnership (Mann–Whitney U = 99.50, p <.001) and attachment (t = 8.47, p <.001), as well as significantly higher scores within all partnership subscales except "communication." There was no difference in infants' weight between the intervention and control groups. The Parent Participation Improvement Program was proven effective in improving parents' partnerships with nurses and attachment to their infants. The results are expected to more effectively facilitate parent participation in neonatal care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the research literature on the relationship between parental involvement and students' academic achievement with 75 studies published between 2003 and 2017. The results first present how individual parental involvement variables correlate with academic achievement based on an age-related classification. Then we move to a more profound review of the literature to determine which variables are moderating or mediating the relationship between parental involvement and academic achievement. Finally, we describe the advancements that were made with studies from the last decade with special focus on the construct of parental involvement. Parental involvement variables that show promises according to their correlations with academic achievement are: (a) reading at home, (b) parents that are holding high expectations/aspirations for their children's academic achievement and schooling, (c) communication between parents and children regarding school, (d) parental encouragement and support for learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sheds light upon mothers' perceptions of educational justice in a context of austerity-based educational reforms. Focus group participants ( n  = 64) described local schools as lacking resources, a shortcoming that contributed to overcrowded classrooms, inadequate transportation, and safety concerns. They were skeptical of elected and appointed state and district officials, who were viewed as misrepresenting the degree of financial strain in the district in order to prioritize financial profit above education services for children. Additionally, respondents struggled to identify opportunities for parent involvement in educational policy making at a state, district, or school level. The shortage of resources, skepticism, and lack of opportunity culminated in what were often described as contentious relationships between parents and school officials. Our results suggest that mothers recognize that they have been disenfranchised as a result of educational reforms. They are more likely to enroll their children and participate in schools when they perceive that there are adequate resources, that children's needs are prioritized above fiscal austerity, and that their opinions are valued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a quantitative synthesis of research into parental involvement and academic achievement through a meta-analysis of 37 studies in kindergarten, primary and secondary schools carried out between 2000 and 2013. Effect size estimations were obtained by transforming Fisher's correlation coefficient. An analysis has also been conducted of the heterogeneity of the magnitudes grouped according to different moderator variables, and a study of the publication bias affecting meta-analytical studies. The results show that the parental models most linked to high achievement are those focusing on general supervision of the children's learning activities. The strongest associations are found when the families have high academic expectations for their children, develop and maintain communication with them about school activities, and help them to develop reading habits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disability is communicated to the family has long-lasting effects. When clarification of the diagnosis takes a long time, this is particularly hard for child health professionals to manage well, and a joint understanding of the process with the family is important. Guidelines for the conduct of the diagnostic consultation are presented. The impact of the child's disability on the family depends on many factors, including the child's behaviours, available resources and the family's coping strategies. By understanding families' individual differences, professionals can provide excellent health care but also help families to promote the child's quality of life and social participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Discrepancies between policies and practices have been known to be key barriers to ascertain adequate service delivery for students with disabilities and their families. For students with learning disabilities, the policy–practice gap is manifested through three key barriers to education: the difficulty to operationalize the definition of learning disabilities in service delivery, psychosocial issues associated with their learning differences, and minimization of parent participation. The implementation status of recent policies to strengthen systematic intervention throughout various stages of schooling to post-school life in Hong Kong has not been examined. This study represents an initial effort to understand service delivery for youth with learning disabilities through their parents'' account of experiences. Findings suggest wide policy–practice gaps in fulfilling the mandates of implementing the 3-Tier Intervention model, establishing student support teams for all eligible students, providing transition services, and engaging and supporting parents in the decision-making process. Bridging the policy–practice gaps and balancing the tension between standards-based education systems and support for diverse needs are universal challenges. An evidence-based approach to policymaking is necessary to increase effective policy implementation and the role of research to contribute to such an approach is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Parent participation is viewed as a pivotal concept to the provision of high quality nursing care for children and their families. Since the 1990''s, the term ‘partnership with parents’ has increasingly been reported in the literature and adopted as a philosophy of care in most paediatric units in the United Kingdom. Objectives: To explore children''s, parents’, and nurses’ views on participation in care in the healthcare setting. Design: Using grounded theory, data were collected through in-depth interviews, and participant observation. Sample consisted of eleven children, ten parents and twelve nurses from four paediatric wards in two hospitals in England. Results: Most nurses assumed that parents would participate in care and viewed their role as facilitators rather than ‘doers’. Nurses reported that the ideology of partnership with parents did not accurately reflect or describe their relationships with parents. Parents could never be partners in care as control of the boundaries of care rested with the nurses. Parents felt compelled to be there and to be responsible for their children''s welfare in hospital. Conclusions: The pendulum of parent participation has swung from excluding parents in the past to making parents feel total responsibility for their child in hospital. It is argued that the current models or theories on parent participation/partnership are inappropriate or inadequate because they do not address important elements of children''s, parents’ and nurses’ experiences in hospital. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: The introduction of unrestricted visiting hours has led to the encouragement of parents to stay with and participate in the care of their hospitalised child. In order to stay with the hospitalised child, parents have to be away from home or work, which in turn impacts on their personal and family life. However, no published study on parents’ experiences of childcare participation during paediatric hospitalisation has been found for a Chinese population. Objectives: This study explored Chinese parents’ experiences of their participation in taking care of their hospitalised child. Design: A qualitative exploratory design was adopted to capture parents’ experiences of participation. Settings: The study was conducted in four paediatric wards of a regional acute general hospital in the New Territories, a major geographical region of Hong Kong. Participants: Nineteen parents (16 mothers and three fathers) who had a child hospitalised for more than 48h and identified themselves as staying comparatively longer with the child than their counterpart were recruited. Methods: Data were collection by tape-recorded semi-structured interview. Results: Four major categories that illustrated parents’ experiences of participation in childcare were identified: reasons for staying with the child, rescheduling of family''s routine, expectations of nurses, and comments on facility provisions. The findings highlight parents’ desire for participation in caring for their hospitalised child, their unexpressed needs for communication and concern about the non-monetary costs of participation. Conclusions: Most parents viewed accompanying their hospitalised child as an unconditional aspect of being a parent and had a strong desire for participation. Parents’ need for communication and emotional support during their participation of childcare in paediatric unit are universal. As Chinese parents are passive in seeking help, nurses should take the initiative in assessing their needs and offering them support accordingly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The introduction of a school management information system (SMIS) in an urban vocational high school, located in a middle-class socio-economic neighborhood, notably affected the learning, behavior and attendance (LBA) interrelations between homeroom teachers (HRTs) and parents. HRT–parents interrelations in general, but those involving parents whose children were having LBA problems in particular, became in most parents’ opinion more frequent, more intensive and more formative. Better communication, understanding and trust between parents and the HRTs were observed. Cooperation between home and HRT increased. Implications for the HRT''s work are discussed, including a recommendation that HRTs should be trained to use SMIS as a tool for developing and monitoring their interrelations with parents. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]