Parental adequacy, parenting failure and parents with learning difficulties

The incidence of parenting failure among people with learning difficulties is widely presumed to be high although existing research is characterized by a number of methodological shortcomings. Drawing on material from an in-depth study of people with learning difficulties, this paper shows that the three variables commonly used for assessing parental inadequacy — child care problems within the family, the admission of a child into care and the termination of parental rights — cannot be taken at face value as evidence of lack of competence or parenting failure. Such outcomes are often mistakenly attributed to parenting deficits when they are more accurately viewed as deficiencies in services or supports. The implications for future research and professional practice are considered.