Parenting services under pressure: unequal access to early years support in England
Our new research finds inequalities in access to parenting support services between regions, and between demographic groups, across England
The early years are a vital period for children’s development and future life chances. At Action for Children, we know how essential it is that families are supported during this time to help give children the best start in life.
Too many parents can't get the support they need. Sign our open letter calling the government to fix this
Our survey last year looked at parents’ experiences of accessing a variety of non-childcare early years services. This year we wanted to focus on a key element of support which is too often overlooked: parenting support.
We surveyed 2,000 parents of 0-5s across England to ask about their experiences of accessing baby and toddler groups, and parenting courses and programmes.
1. Parents want support
66% of parents wished there was more high-quality support available to help with their parenting.
2. There was inequality in access to support
Lower-income parents, Black, Asian and minority ethnic parents, younger parents, and fathers, were more likely to have faced difficulty accessing services. There was also significant regional variation in access.
3. Parenting support helps with prevention
32% of parents who accessed parenting support went on to access further support as a result of this. Parenting support should be seen as an important form of early intervention.
We welcome the government’s recent commitments to improving early years support — from the 2021 Spending Review announcements to the recent family hub programme guide.
In order to make these commitments a reality, the government will now need to:
Address inequality in access to services
Currently, family hub plans apply to just over half of local authorities. The government must clarify how it plans to improve access to parenting support in areas that are not eligible. No area, or family, should be left behind.
Invest to improve parenting support across the country
The most common barrier to accessing parenting support in our survey was that services were not available. Little progress can be made on parenting support without further and sustained investment. We’d welcome a long-term plan for investment into early years services.
Too many parents can't get the support they need. Sign our open letter calling the government to fix this
