ndiswrapper is what you need.
Permissions issues can be solved either with sudo or chmod, depending on what you're trying to do.
Don't know any software for parental control, but proper access policies will go a long way. You can also set something up in iptables, to filter out websites you don't want the wee ones on.
I'd recommend upgrading to technology produced within the decade. 802.11g cards are cheap, and n is finalized now.