-
Poor childhood health
starting at pregnancy, as 32 per cent
of parents don't attend antenatal
classes
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Families are being ‘left
to fend for themselves' as NHS struggles to support parents,
says new report
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IPPR calls
for universal access to parenting education,
before and after
birth
Families across England are being left
to shoulder growing responsibility for their children's health as
the NHS struggles to cope – often without the
preparation, support or trusted advice they need,
according to a major new report from
IPPR.
The report says the dual crises of
mental health and obesity issues among children have been allowed
to flourish as parents have been left at the behest of
patchy NHS services that are hard to
access.
A survey of over 1,500 parents found
that:
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One in three (32 per cent)
never attended an antenatal
class
-
One third (31 per cent) do not
feel prepared to look after their children's
health
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One in five (19 per
cent) find it difficult to access professional
help for their child's health when they need
it
The least financially comfortable
parents faced particular challenges, as
the most well off
can buy their way to better outcomes,
while the poorest face the greatest barriers to
support.
For example, 81 per cent of the most
financially comfortable parents say they can easily access
professional help for their child, compared to just 37 per cent
of the least financially secure.
When parents do access care, many
describe the experience as rushed or judgmental – leaving them
feeling unsupported in navigating the realities of parenthood. As
waiting times grow, families say they are increasingly turning to
private care, DIY solutions or simply hoping problems resolve on
their own.
Inconsistent or insufficient advice is
pushing many parents to online spaces. The vast majority (85 per
cent) told IPPR they “learn as they go”, often piecing together
advice from the internet and risking
misinformation, overload and
anxiety.
IPPR argues that children's health has
stalled because successive governments have been reluctant to
talk about parenting – wary of appearing to interfere or blame
families.
Parents feel both highly responsible
and highly capable of shaping their child's health. At the same
time, parents say they cannot do it alone. IPPR says ministers
must stand alongside parents – taking bolder, clearer action on
the forces only government can confront. The think tank
recommends:
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Universal parenting
education before and for a year after birth, delivered on an
opt-out basis
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Government action to make
healthy choices the easy
choice –
improving healthy food affordability, closing junk-food
marketing loopholes, tackling tech harms and
expanding free offline activities
-
More proactive, easy-to-find
community support,
reaching parents early, connecting families with one another
and offering practical help while they wait for specialist
care
Amy Gandon, associate fellow
at IPPR and former senior official on children's
health:
“Families are being left to fend
for themselves as the NHS is struggling to support
parents. Successive governments have shied away from
engaging directly with parents - but in reality they
are – and will always be - the backbone of children's healthcare.
If we want a more preventative, community-based NHS, we must
start by backing parents with the support, guidance and
environment they need to keep their children
healthy.”
Sebastian Rees, Head of Health
at IPPR:
“Too many parents feel unprepared
when it comes to keeping their children healthy.
Families shouldn't have to piece together advice online
or pay privately to get the support they need. We need
a system that supports parents from the start, not one that
leaves them to go it alone. Only then will we lay the
foundations for building the healthiest generation of
children ever.”
NOTES TO
EDITORS
-
Public First carried out a
large-scale, nationally representative survey for IPPR of 1,523
parents across the England from 19 September to 26 September
2025. All results were weighted using Iterative
Proportional Fitting, or ‘Ranking'. Public First is a
member of the British Polling Council and abides by its
rules.
