The government must use the budget to support parents

Parents have had to face the lasting impacts of the pandemic and lockdowns, and the challenges posed by the cost-of-living crisis. 

These major events have taken their toll and increased strain on families. The situation is being replicated around the world, with the US Surgeon General recently declaring parental stress “an urgent public health issue”.

Now, with a new UK government in place and its first budget imminent, there is a golden opportunity to make an emphatic statement that Labour has a plan in place to prioritise the social, emotional, and mental wellbeing of parents and children. 

School reform and childcare have been on the agenda, as has the proposed ban on smacking. These are all incredibly important, but new data that we have collected at Triple P shows there is still a worrying gap when it comes to supporting parents with the skills needed to raise children who are happy, healthy, and resilient beyond the classroom.