Genesis II for Families is able to provide assessment of parenting competence as well as quality of the relationship between parent and child. The objective of parenting assessment is to make timely as well as appropriate recommendations concerning the permanency of child and family preservation. To evaluate parenting, Genesis II for Families makes use of many different information sources.

The different information sources used include family of origin interview, family of creation interview, parent-child observation sessions, if appropriate, interview of the child, standardized parenting vignettes, assessment checklists and inventories as well as other collateral information.

Factors Contributing to Current Parenting Practices

The parenting assessment tools help in understanding factors that contribute to current parenting practices, beliefs as well as skills. It includes parental empathy towards the child as well as child behavior perceptions and expectations of the child. Normally, this form of parental assessment can be finished in three to four sessions with each session being of one and a half hours duration. The assessment is performed by master level professionals who have clinical experience in working with troubled families.

There are other parenting assessments such as the St. Luke's Parenting Assessment and Skills Development Service that believe that children have the right to long term well-being, and children will be unable to develop successfully unless they are given adequate standard of care. Parents always wish the best for their children and strive to give them appropriate care; however, there are also parents in need of assistance, which if not provided, will lead to unsafe behaviors that will require Child Protection involvement.

In any case, parental assessment is all about gathering information from many different sources concerning the needs of the children, the ability of parents to meet such needs, and the skills as well as strengths of the parent. Such information is subjected to analysis in order to present recommendations based on the best interests of the child.

The need for parenting assessment arises out of therapists or lawyers needing to understand the manner in which someone approaches parenting and also helps takes stock of the strengths and weaknesses of such person(s). There are many instances where problems relating to a parent's behavior or problems between child and parent need to be addressed so that a decision on behalf of the child can be taken. Parenting assessment is of help to lawyers, Children's Aid Societies as well as community agencies in deciding what is best for both child and parent. All information gathered will then be submitted to the courts or lawyers or other concerned persons in the form of a written report.