Reaching all parents

We want our services to meet the needs of parents from a wide range of backgrounds.

Ann Bradwell, NCT Antenatal Teacher, supports mothers who are in prison throughout their pregnancies:

Antenatal support for asylum seekers in Chapeltown, Leeds
NCT runs free antenatal classes in one of the most deprived areas of Leeds. Most of the participants are asylum seekers from a variety of countries and backgrounds, so the classes focus not only on preparing parents for birth but also on supporting them with issues such as housing, food, clothing and coping with feelings of isolation.

Supporting fathers who are ex-offenders and ex-drug users in Aberdeen
Some members of this dads-only support group are lone fathers, others have joint custody or supervised access to their children. We aim to provide a safe, supportive and non-judgemental environment where these fathers are helped to develop positive parenting skills, become more confident and enhance their self-esteem.

Research and evidence

There’s no lack of advice on pregnancy, birth and parenting. The problem is, what information can be trusted, especially when views are often conflicting?

That’s why research features so largely in our work. Here are just some of the projects we have been involved in:

• Normal birth as a measure of the quality of care – evidence on safety, effectiveness and women’s experiences.
• Left to your own devices – the postnatal care experiences of 1260 first-time mothers.
• POPPY – a project for the parents of premature babies.

Visit our professional section for more information.

Campaigning and lobbying

While much has been achieved for parents in recent years, becoming a parent in our society can still be a daunting experience. We are active campaigners on their behalf, working with local governments across the UK. We submit evidence, take part in formal consultations and are the secretariat for a number of local and national representative boards including the All-party Parliamentary Group on Maternity. We also have representatives on most local maternity liaison committees.

Health Professionals

If you work with parents, the NCT can help you to deliver engaging, positive and informative services that support people from pregnancy and birth through all the changes of the first two years of being a parent.

We can offer you a wide range of services tailored to the needs of parents across the UK. These include antenatal and postnatal courses, run in appropriate venues and in formats that work for local parents, including day, evening and drop-in sessions; training for health professionals and a wide range of teaching aids, information and birth environment equipment. We can also offer you breastfeeding drop-ins with a view to building a breastfeeding peer support group from your centre.