History
The Parenting Programmes' Alliance (PPA) was formed at the beginning of 2015 to provide a forum for programme developers' voices to be heard at the national policy level.
The Alliance currently has a membership who between us reach over 20,000 parents per year with evidence-informed parenting programmes. We know that the provision of high-quality parenting programmes is a vital part of providing support to parents and families, and the key to improving life chances for children and young people.
Goals
The Alliance aims to work together to influence policy and practice in the development, commissioning and provision of parenting programmes by:
- Promoting and supporting best practice
- Sharing knowledge and experience
- Acting as the voice of parenting programme developers and providers
Members
Current members of the alliance are:
- Approachable Parenting
- Family Links
- Mellow Parenting
- Parent Gym
- Parents as First Teachers
- Peeple
- Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities - Race Equality Foundation
- Solihull Approach - University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
- The For Baby's Sake Trust
Future
After discussions with Parenting UK, part of Family Lives, as the membership body for parenting professionals, it was agreed that the PPA would sit as a working group of Parenting UK who would provide secretariat support.
The group appointed an independent Chair, Dorit Braun, in January 2016. Dorit was chair until 2022. The current chair is Sarah Darton who worked in the NHS for 30 years as a Health Visitor, Named Nurse for Safeguarding and as the manager of a Sure Start local programme. In 2009 she joined Family Links the Centre for Emotional Health as Director of Programmes, developing and delivering training in programmes for parents. In 2018 Sarah became Chief Executive of Family Links, retiring in 2022.
Sarah remains passionate about support for parents and carers and the role parenting programmes can play in improving the outcomes for children, as well as the emotional health of their parents. Since her retirement Sarah has become Chair of the Parenting Programmes Alliance and is also a trustee of the Institute for Recovery from Childhood Trauma. She continues to deliver training in Family Links’ Nurturing Programme to professionals across the UK, with a focus on breaking the cycle of childhood trauma and enabling all children to realise their individual potential, enjoy positive relationships and live healthy and fulfilled lives.
The PPA is facilitated by Parenting UK, part of Family Lives.