Bernadette Rhoden | August 2026
From time to time, we are asked whether Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) is appropriate for parents whose children are no longer living with them because of care proceedings or other circumstances. Rather than focusing solely on whether a child is living at home, ask instead: does SFSC have something meaningful to offer this parent at this point in their circumstances?
Parenting Beyond Daily Care
One of the principles underpinning SFSC is the recognition that many people continue to identify strongly with their role as parents, even when they are no longer providing day-to-day care for their children.
For many, parenting remains an important part of their identity and sense of self. This understanding informs our approach to working with parents whose children are no longer living at home or whose contact is limited.
Over the years, SFSC has supported many parents in these circumstances, including parents in prison and those whose children have been removed from their care. Our experience has shown that meaningful parenting relationships can continue beyond daily care.
What Can SFSC Offer?
SFSC provides opportunities for parents to:
- reflect on children’s development, behaviour and parenting approaches
- explore the wider social and environmental influences on family life
- make sense of experiences that may have contributed to their current circumstances.
For many parents, that opportunity for reflection is valuable in its own right.
Managing Expectations
Parents come to SFSC for many different reasons. Some hope to improve the quality of contact with their children or prepare for future parenting opportunities. Others attend because it has been suggested by a professional. These motivations are important to acknowledge, and they make conversations about the purpose of SFSC essential.
Many parents begin SFSC feeling uncertain or sceptical. Meaningful engagement often develops as trust grows and parents begin to recognise the relevance of the programme to their own lives and relationships.
It is equally important to remain clear that:
SFSC does not guarantee reunification or influence care proceedings.
Decisions about children’s futures are based on broader assessments of children’s safety, needs and wellbeing.
The Wider Benefits
While outcome guarantees cannot be made, meaningful engagement in the programme is often accompanied by wider personal change.
Facilitators frequently observe parents becoming:
- more self aware and emotionally regulated
- better able to advocate for themselves and their children
- more confident communicating with professionals.
Facilitators and partner professionals, including social workers and teachers, often report more constructive engagement from parents. Parents also describe greater confidence in meetings and reviews and an increased willingness to engage with other services and sources of support, reflecting the interdependence that underpins effective family support.
Thinking Carefully About Referrals
When considering referrals, keep the following principles in mind:
- Do not rule parents in or out of SFSC solely because their children are no longer living with them.
- Discuss the purpose of the programme openly and ensure expectations are realistic.
- Consider whether SFSC is likely to offer something meaningful to that parent at this point in their circumstances.
- If a child has recently been removed, or facing imminent removal, carefully consider whether the parent is ready to engage in a group programme. Some parents may benefit from additional support, before they are able to engage fully.
When facilitating sessions:
- Adapt activities that assume children are living at home
- Frame exercises around contact sessions or future parenting opportunities where appropriate
- Invite reflection on parents’ own childhood experiences, current relationships and future aspirations while maintaining programme fidelity.
Final Reflection
Ultimately, SFSC is about supporting parents to reflect, learn and strengthen parenting relationships wherever those relationships exist.
Whether the future involves reunification, meaningful contact or simply making sense of a difficult chapter, opportunities for learning and growth remain valuable.
As practitioners, our role is to look beyond legal circumstances and thoughtfully consider whether SFSC is the right opportunity for each parent at the particular point in their journey. This ensures that SFSC reaches parents at a time when it can offer the greatest value.
