This report is about how the power of parents and their communities can be harnessed to better support families with young children.
Parents are the most important influence on early childhood development. But they don’t always have the support they need.
We know that parental involvement has a greater impact on children’s development than any other factor. We also know that directly supporting parents can have a positive impact on child outcomes. Despite this, public services often don’t start from the agency of parents and fail to draw from and build on their energy, skills and community connections.
Through case studies and evidence, we argue for the wider adoption of what we call ‘parent-powered approaches’ – models of family support that harness the skills, experiences, and knowledge of parents, carers, and the wider community – to better support families in the early years and ultimately improve the life chances of children.
