Parental Religion and Spirituality in Early Childhood Development: an Exploratory Narrative Overview of Longitudinal Evidence

Parental religion and spirituality (R/S) are integral components of family life, yet their role in shaping early childhood development (ECD) outcomes has received limited empirical attention. This narrative review synthesizes longitudinal and review evidence on how parental R/S influences child outcomes, drawing on the Nurturing Care Framework (NCF) to structure the analysis. We examine three interrelated domains: (1) the role of parental R/S in shaping family and relational dynamics, (2) its influence on parenting practices, and (3) its direct effects on early childhood development outcomes. Evidence suggests that parental R/S can promote family cohesion, stress-buffering support, and responsive parenting, while also reinforcing practices. Associations between parental R/S and child development outcomes are heterogeneous. The most consistent signal is reduced externalizing behavior. Internalizing and academic outcomes showed more mixed, or sometimes even adverse, associations. Methodological limitations include reliance on narrow measures of parental R/S, insufficient attention to confounding and temporal dynamics, and a limited representation of non-Western and non-Christian contexts. Included studies are predominantly general population, non-clinical samples drawn primarily from high-income countries, with reliance on data collected in the 1990s–early 2000s. We conclude by proposing future directions, including greater integration of parental R/S within early childhood development frameworks such as the NCF.