CYP Now - Editorial: Children's services remain colour-blind

Findings of a study about engaging black and minority ethnic (BME) parents in children's services have been published by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (see p4). Given government policy's emphasis on positive parenting and on connecting with hard-to-reach communities, it contains important messages for professionals who work with the young and their families.

The study is based on a review of recent literature on the issue as well as an examination of 10 case study settings. Foremost among the findings is a worry about services failing to recognise diversity within minority ethnic groups. The label "BME" is found to be unhelpful where service providers regard all minorities as being a single group and thus "colour-blind" to differences.

The study does identify a number of areas of effective practice with regard to BME parents. Dedicated resources such as a parental engagement officer might be beyond the financial meansof some providers. But other measures include recruiting more representatively from local communities to quash negative perceptionsamong some parents and a "them and us" view of services.

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