At the time, the UK was rated one of the worst places in Europe to raise a child. Our mission was simple: to improve outcomes for children in an increasingly digital world. But we wanted to do it differently.

The parenting sector had become exclusive and out of touch with real families. 

We challenged the status quo – not for the sake of it, but because challenge was needed. We wanted to test assumptions and stereotypes around family life – to understand what parents and families really needed. 

Once, Parent Zone was our CEO and founder Vicki Shotbolt, an office and a desk. Today, we are many (not forgetting Teddy, the office dog), with stations across the UK and teams across the planet.
 

We know every family needs support sometimes

Simply because parenting is hard. Parent Zone sits at the heart of digital family life: the struggles, the magical moments, the times when things seem complicated or confusing.

We are a parenting organisation – but we are also parents. We are here for ordinary parents – not for the loudest and most powerful. 

We maintain our independence and values. We adapt to the needs of all parents – and the digital world – so we are agile enough to cope. 

We base our work on expert academic research. But we listen to everyone: parents, professionals, young people, and children.

Our aim is still to challenge, to take risks, to ask awkward questions. What’s happening in the real world? What do families really need? And are we really helping ordinary families with ordinary – or sometimes extraordinary – challenges?

 We trade to achieve our social mission and we continue to learn. We work locally, nationally and internationally, and our partners range from individual schools and local authorities to government departments and multinational tech firms. We continue to push for change, from consulting on government legislation to our independently funded research into the effects of digital on family life.