Building better moms and dads

If you want to be a circus clown, a coffee shop manager, a city bus driver or a telemarketer, you will undoubtedly get hours more formal training than you will to be a parent. For a job that means you hold not just a child's life in your hands but his psyche, self-esteem and tear-stained little face, it's amazing what credentials, work history and skill base you can be lacking and still find work as a mom or dad.

The world's most important occupation comes with no job description, prerequisities or certification.

Not only will no one train you or be your mentor, they'll probably not have the nerve to point out your obvious shortcomings -- that's "your business" -- and, because it could create a messy dependency, they also won't do much to help you along.

Yet grooming better parents is surely the key to solving our most serious social problems, and as we point out in a Sunday column, one of the most effective steps in resolving the problems with foster care.

Support and instruct struggling parents and we may be able to pre-empt abuse and neglect.
Imagine what it would be like to be a region known for strong parenting.