The Family and Parenting Institute has been successfully championing UK families for 11 years.
Winning real change
FPI lobbies successfully for UK families on the issues that matter to them. Our campaign to protect health visitors numbers was first launched in 2007. By 2010 the Coalition government pledged to boost their numbers by 4,200 – a huge success, giving this vital but long-neglected service a brighter future.
We put the issue of the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood on the policy agenda by bringing together concerned parents with researchers, the consumer lobby, industry representatives and politicians. The issue was subsequently one of the five top priorities for the Families Taskforce chaired by Prime Minister David Cameron.
In 2010 the Save Child Savings alliance was formed in response to the Coalition Government’s scrapping of Child Trust Funds. FPI was a prominent member of the alliance, appearing on BBC News and lobbying in Westminster for the creation of a new dedicated children’s savings account. In late 2010, the government responded to campaigners by introducing Junior ISAs.
Providing valuable expertise
Over the past 11 years our research and publications have pushed back the boundaries of understanding on all kinds of UK families, revealing crucial changes in family life in recent years.
Getting parents involved
Over the past decade FPI has achieved a genuine cultural change in how local authorities, schools, children’s centres and health services interact with parents. We led the way by demonstrating that consultation with parents means more satisfaction for all.
We piloted information sessions for parents that encouraged them to come into schools and be more engaged in their children’s education. This simple but crucial initiative is now part of mainstream school life. The success is tangible – 51 per cent of parents said in 2008 that they felt very involved in their child’s school life, compared to just 29 per cent in 2001.
In nurseries, what seemed revolutionary only a few years ago is now normal – early years workers see parents as partners in children’s education and directly encourage them to read to, and teach, their children at home. This stems from our work piloting projects in partnership with early learning providers.
Helping the most vulnerable families
For a seven year period, FPI successfully managed the Parenting Fund. This was perhaps the biggest integrated scheme for the grassroots support of vulnerable families that the UK has ever seen. The Parenting Fund saw FPI direct government funding to 335 charities and organisations in 23 different communities.
Uniting family-focused charities
FPI plays a lead role in the strategic representation of the family sector. We coordinate the Family Forum, a quarterly meeting of the Chief Executives of 28 leading family charities.
We also convene the Family Room, an alliance of 15 leading family charities, uniting in a coalition at political party conferences.
Do you want to play a part in our continuing success? Then learn how you can support our work.
