Belgium
II. SERVICE PROVIDERS, THEIR STAFF, INTEGRATED WORKING
The agencies, organisations, stakeholders and practitioners involved in planning, organising, developing, executing and/or supporting the practice -- On a Flemish level: the governmental agencies Child & Family and Youth Welfare are in charge of the funding and registering of the fourteen parenting shops in the big cities. Besides that, they also grant a quality label to parenting shops in other parts of Flanders. Both agencies control and evaluate the shops -- On a local level: most of the parenting shops also receive funding from the local government
Extent to which the practice is rooted in local authorities’/ NGOs experience of service delivery to families and parents Being rooted in local authorities’ service delivery is a key feature of parenting shops. They start from a local policy on parenting support and work intensively together with the local government and other organisations8
The involved staff, their education and training, guidance and support The professional staff should have backgrounds in social studies (social work, social welfare studies, psychology etc). Some parenting shops also work with volunteers who have the necessary competences to work in a parenting shop. EXPOO provides practical assistance to the field of parenting support and to this end collects, enhances and disseminates the relevant knowledge and know-how on parenting support. Under the provisions of the Flemish government decree, the tasks of EXPOO are: • To develop basic information on parenting for different ages and to also contribute such basic information to parenting support consultation at local level and to parenting shops • To devise and disseminate textual and audio-visual materials • To develop and maintain a digital platform on parenting for different ages, in co-operation with parenting shops • To offer a telephone service in co-operation with one or several relevant partners • To build up a documentation and information centre • To ensure the continual monitoring of Flemish and international scientific research • To develop and disseminate parenting support methods • To organise education and continued training for local coordinators • To draw up a manual to be made available to local consultation on parenting support • To organise training sessions for professionals • To process the available data collection and report to the Flemish Government
Integrated working The parenting shop is organised by a partnership of local organisations. This improves the interdisciplinary and integrated way of working. III. POLITICAL CONTEXT AND SUPPORT
Political context Aiming for a smoothly running democratic society, both government and private partners have an important role to play. It is important to the daily work of the parenting shop that a good connection is maintained with local social politics. The parenting shop has close contact with local policymakers. Difficulties in the day-
The parenting shops in Sint-Niklaas, Flanders
8 See EXPOO’s website (note 1) for more information on strategic and policy framework
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Compendium of Inspiring Practices