Third of parents relying on social media to find parenting tips – survey

A third (33%) of parents say they have resorted to scrolling social media for parenting advice, a survey for the Government has found.

The Department for Education (DfE) is launching guidance on Tuesday intended to help parents easily access evidence-backed advice on things such as feeding times, where to find childcare, sleeping and speech and language.

The guidance launch comes with the distribution this week of £12 million across 65 local areas to build a Best Start family hub, which will offer parenting support and youth services.

“Every parent knows, as I do, scrolling through social media, there’s an absolute blizzard of information out there,” minister for early education Olivia Bailey told the PA News Agency.

“What we’re trying to do is just help parents cut through the noise and provide that both physical and online space where you can just go to get trusted advice.”

More than two thirds (68%) of 2,511 parents surveyed who were expecting or had a child aged up to four said they see conflicting information on parenting advice that they struggle to trust, and 69% said they felt overwhelmed by the amount of information available.

Up to 1,000 of the family hubs will be rolled out around the country from April 2026, the Government previously announced, backed by a £500 million investment.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “The path to opportunity for every child begins in the early years, and ensuring children are ready to learn and thrive when they start school is vital – yet new parents face an overwhelming amount of conflicting online information.”

More than half of parents surveyed (57%) by Censuswide said they feel unclear about where to go for reliable advice, and the same proportion said mistrusting advice has meant they delayed or avoided making a decision.

Ms Phillipson has previously said the Government’s Best Start in Life strategy will build on the legacy of Sure Start, which was introduced by the Labour government in 1999 to provide centres giving help and advice on child and family health, parenting, money, training and employment.

Funding for Sure Start fell by more than two thirds after the change in government in 2010, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said, and more than 1,340 centres closed between 2010 and 2022.

“We know that Sure Start had a huge impact on educational outcomes, on reducing the need for [Special Educational Needs and Disabilities] support in the future, and on a range of positive measures, including school absence for our children,” Ms Bailey added.

The Government has set a target for 75% of five-year-olds to have a good level of development by 2028.

The Best Start in Life campaign is launched with a new short film featuring Oti Mabuse, Billie Shepherd and cartoon character Mummy Pig to remind families that help is always accessible.