Education & upskilling

2.4.4 Parenting

Parenting skills represent a powerful strategy for healthy humanity for both the child and the parents themselves. The evidence base for this impact is rooted in the understanding that the early childhood environment fundamentally shapes brain development, stress regulation systems, and subsequent health behaviours (Shonkoff, 2016). Improved parenting skills lead to reduced childhood exposure to adverse childhood experiences, which are strongly correlated with chronic conditions, mental health issues, and premature mortality across the life course (Felitti et al., 1998).
For parents, effective skill-building—such as enhanced communication and stress management techniques—directly reduces parental stress, improves mental health, and fosters supportive family environments, acting as a personal firewall against health decline.

Health Sector: A variety of evidence-based interventions have demonstrated significant benefits in promoting positive, responsive parenting. Programs like the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program and the Nurse-Family Partnership, which focuses on first-time, low-income mothers, have shown long-term improvements in child abuse prevention, better school readiness, and reduced parental depressive symptoms.

These interventions typically upskill parents in core areas: responsive caregiving (responding sensitively to a child’s needs), positive discipline (using non-violent and consistent methods), and stress-management (helping parents regulate their own emotions). By teaching these skills, adults gain a greater sense of self-efficacy, which is strongly linked to overall better health and an improved capacity to navigate complex life stressors (Bandura, 1997).

Workplaces: The private sector can play a transformative role by making these beneficial parenting skills education programs accessible, scalable, and integrated into their existing systems. Large employers, for example, can subsidize or offer evidence-based parenting courses (like Triple P) as a core employee benefit, recognizing that stable family life and reduced parental stress directly translate to lower absenteeism, higher productivity, and reduced healthcare costs.

Technology Companies: Technology companies can develop high-quality digital upskilling platforms that deliver modular, self-paced parenting education, ensuring it’s available to working adults who cannot attend in-person classes. This digitization makes effective, proven interventions affordable and available on demand, breaking down geographical and scheduling barriers.

Cross-Sector collaboration: Beyond workplace benefits, the private sector’s investment in early childhood development can be framed as a critical investment in future human capital and long-term public health. Private health insurers can incentivize participation in evidence-based parenting programs by offering lower premiums or wellness credits, acknowledging the long-term cost savings associated with promoting child health.

Additionally, financial institutions and media companies can partner with paediatricians and child development experts to distribute credible, skills-focused educational content via simple tools, such as banking apps that offer short videos on financial stability.

By prioritizing these skills in their education and upskilling efforts, the private sector can contribute to a societal increase in health across generations.