What we do

Support for parents and families in Scotland

Parenting across Scotland aims to support families in Scotland in bringing up their children. We do this by providing information and support for parents, carrying out research and influencing policymakers.

Information for parents and practitioners

For parents and families:

  • We make it easier to find information and support services by bringing them together on this website.
  • We produce a series of Ten Top Tips offering valuable parenting advice. 
  • We work in partnership to make sure our helplines meet parents' and families' needs.

For practitioners:

Finding out what parents need

Parenting across Scotland carry out research in a number of ways:

  • Asking parents in Scotland what matters to them through our MORI polls;
  • Asking callers to our helplines about current parenting issues, like how they are coping in the recession;
  • Carrying out studies, for example, about parents with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities.

Making parents' voices heard

We aim to influence politicians and policymakers by:

  • Talking to politicians and decision-makers about what parents have told us matters to them;
  • Sitting on Scottish Government working groups to make sure that there is a parental perspective;
  • Running parliamentary events where parents and politicians share their parenting stories;
  • Responding to consultations about issues which affect families; and
  • Developing ideas to improve the services that parents use.