Tenth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Low-income families and families of color often experience barriers to accessing trusted parenting-related information, resources and services in their communities. This anonymous survey of low-income parents of young children in Washington state (n = 203) produced the following results: Low-income (<$50k) families report spending time with their children engaged in activities that may promote resilience and improve kindergarten readiness and overall health. Many of these families, however, report at least three life stressors (e.g., work, housing, food and transportation) that may impact positive time spent with children. While all income brackets reported having some stressors, the lowest-income families were most likely to report having no stressors (or left this item blank). Social service providers may want to build upon this resilience when engaging with families, rather than assuming that families are unhappy or struggling due to the average number of reported stressors. When stratified by income, life stressors differ; this may be related to income eligibility for services, such as medical care and childcare. Sources of information about parenting were reported to be family, physician, online and friends. Service providers wishing to disseminate information about parenting should consider targeting medical providers or creating region-specific websites, rather than—or in addition to–having information available through existing programs. As the primary source of parenting information reported is family, it is possible that unhealthy parenting practices and behaviors are passed down through generations–There is evidence that both positive and negative parenting practices are passed down through generations.