Parents who turn to TikTok influencers and Instagram gurus for advice on everything from potty training to childhood vaccination are at risk of falling victim to misleading and poor quality information, the education secretary has warned.
Bridget Phillipson was speaking at the launch of the government’s “Best Start in Life” campaign – sometimes described as Sure Start Mark 2 after the last Labour government’s early years policy, regarded by many as its finest achievement.
“Becoming a parent for the first time, especially if you’re in a less well-off community, can be incredibly isolating and very lonely, and it’s therefore understandable that parents seek to access support online,” she said during a visit to a family hub in Peterborough on Monday.
“But some of that information can really vary in quality. Some of it will be poor quality or misleading,” she said, adding: “I’m concerned that parents often see conflicting advice online that makes them worry about whether they’re doing the right thing.”
Phillipson was speaking as new research, conducted on behalf of the government, found 33% of parents of young children are now “heavily reliant” on scrolling social media for parenting advice.
Seven out of 10 (69%) of the 2,500 parents of children aged up to four years old said they felt overwhelmed by the volume of information available and a similar proportion (68%) struggle to trust conflicting advice online.
More than half (57%) felt unclear about where to go for credible advice, while the same proportion have delayed or avoided making a decision because they did not trust the advice given.
The Department for Education is particularly concerned about viral posts that push unverified “miracle” fixes or hacks and short-form videos making parenting claims with no supporting evidence.
Examples given include a viral Facebook video in which a “self-employed parenting expert” with a million followers said telling children to “stop running” or “don’t sit like that” makes them “rebel and throw tantrums” because it hurts their self-esteem, which may discourage parents from setting boundaries.
Another example was a “verified” Instagram parenting page with almost half a million followers, which posted that “parents who empathise instead of criticise are creating a better society”, implying that firm rules are harmful, and elsewhere an online discussion thread for parents debating whether bedtimes should be abolished because they were too controlling.
There are also serious concerns around online misinformation about childhood vaccination. One in five children in England now start primary school unprotected from serious infectious diseases including measles, whooping cough and mumps.
“I want to make sure that parents have access to high quality, impartial material, including around health, and yes, that does include access to clear information about the importance of vaccination,” said Phillipson.
The government’s Best Start campaign includes a one-stop website to help parents access evidence-backed information and advice on a comprehensive range of parenting issues including pregnancy, breastfeeding, baby and toddler tooth care, sleep, speech and language.
It also includes thousands of school-based nurseries, family hubs in every local area, free breakfast clubs in every school and backing for a holiday activities and food programme for children from low-income families for another three years.
Phillipson, who is standing for the deputy leadership of the Labour party, promised to build on and future-proof Sure Start, which was introduced by the Labour government in 1999 to provide centres offering help and advice on child and family health, parenting, money, training and employment.
Funding for the programme was slashed by more than two-thirds after the change in government in 2010 and more than 1,340 centres closed between 2010 and 2022. Under Best Start, up to 1,000 family hubs will be rolled out across the country from April 2026, backed by a £500m investment.
“What I will build through Best Start family hubs will stand the test of time,” she said. “The tragedy of Sure Start was that it was so easy for the Conservatives to dismantle.
“I want to build a legacy that will last, where we have hubs across the country alongside wider support for parents online that stands the test of time, that won’t be dismantled, and that will put children front and centre of our national life.”
