We are again in a rapidly evolving era and landscape for early years and childcare. One truth is becoming increasingly clear: parent power is reshaping the sector like never before. Parents are influencing policy and politics, and driving innovation in practice. No longer passive and grateful participants in children’s early education, parents are much more active, vocal, and deeply invested. For everyone in early years and childcare this shift presents both challenges and exciting opportunities.

The publication of the Early Education and Childcare Coalition (EECC) polling from More in Common on parents’ views about childcare after the election (2 July 2025), found:

• 69% of the public think that investing in early education and childcare is good for the whole country, not just parents - the highest level of support in three years.
• Giving children a good start in life is seen as the primary benefit of investing in early education (45%), compared to 37% who think the main benefit is to help parents work.
• 15% of parents have quit their jobs in the last year due to childcare challenges. A third (32%) have borrowed money from family/friends or taken out a loan/credit card to pay for childcare.
• 71% of the public think all children should have access to early education regardless of their parents’ employment status.
• 66% of parents think that early education professionals do not get the respect they deserve.

That got me thinking. This isn’t something that has happened overnight. It has evolved over time.

Digital connectivity enables parents to have instant access to research, guidance, forums, and social media communities (sometimes helpful, sometimes not) where they share experiences and advocate for change.From funding reforms to curriculum debates, parents are much more informed and engaged with national and local decisions affecting their access to provision, and choices when using it.

Families have been changing and with more diverse family structures and working patterns, parents are demanding and needing flexible, inclusive, and responsive services and solutions. COVID-19 highlighted the essential role of early education, prompting many parents to reassess what quality looks like, and how their entitlements need to fit with their home or work routines.

Rather than viewing this shift as a disruption, we all must harness parent power to strengthen practice and build deeper partnerships.

In practice, more parents want to be part of their child’s learning journey. Communication needs to be two-way. Gone are the days of one-way updates, parents expect real-time insights into their child’s development, and we need to properly listen to feedback. That means we should truly embrace parent power, fostering a culture where families feel valued, heard, and respected. This means training staff in family engagement methods, creating welcoming environments, and valuing the unique knowledge parents bring about their children.

Parents are powerful allies in advocating for funding, resources, and recognition of the early years sector. The power of the sector-based lobby to effect change is now more in the hands of parents than it is providers, or their representative bodies. Instead, we are now seeing a larger, more vocal, more informed parent cohort that are rallying against the promise of “free” childcare, and they ‘understand’ early education and its value more than before. Parents can describe their real-life experiences, they are quoting statutory guidance, and they are more aware of their rights. Those are the luckier ones of course, those who are disadvantaged and disenfranchised have a different experience and can be unheard unless their views and experiences (or lack of them) are collected and reported by us on their behalf.

Parent power isn’t a trend, it’s a transformation, or a gear-change. As professionals, we have the chance to lead this change by reimagining our relationships with families. When parents and educators work in harmony, the outcomes for children are richer, more inclusive, and we shall all benefit from that.