Purpose

The objective of this chapter is to promote the recognition of the importance of the participation of both parents in the lives of their children. Social policy and practices have often focused on the difficulties of raising a child in a single-parent family and have often created barriers to the involvement of both parents in their child’s life. Accordingly, the purpose of this chapter is to promote a social policy and practices that value the contribution that each parent brings to the family unit. The emphasis will be on the population of children whose families have received or are receiving public assistance, but the program will also include other populations of children who will benefit.