Free parenting classes will be offered to all parents of under-fives - face-to-face and online - in Middlesbrough, High Peak in Derbyshire, and Camden in London.
Areas have been chosen so that there is a good demographic and location spread and are in medium to high levels of deprivation.
Providers will offer a variety of classes aimed at different groups of parents using evidence-based programmes.
The Government said it was investing up to £5m in the two-year trial, which runs until March 2014.
This includes funding for redemption of parenting class vouchers, an independent evaluation, and the Local Support and Voucher Provider Services organisation.
Ministers want the trials to increase demand for parenting classes across the country.
All parents in the trial areas with children under the age of five will be offered a voucher to cover the cost of a programme of parenting classes.
Vouchers worth £100 will be distributed to parents through early years settings and children’s centres and by midwives and health visitors.
Montessori St Nicholas is one of ten providers chosen to run classes in Camden.
They will be advised on the project by the Fatherhood Institute, to ensure that the classes are inclusive and relevant for fathers.
Montessori parenting classes will be assessed by the University of East Anglia.
Philip Bujak, chief executive of Montessori St Nicholas, said that winning the bid showed how far the Montessori philosophy had gained acceptance as a valuable approach to education and family life.
‘The parenting classes in Camden give us the opportunity to share the benefits of Montessori’s child-centred holistic approach with London parents,’ he said.
‘A child’s early years – from birth to six – are the period where he or she has the greatest capacity to learn. It is what we, as adults, do during these critical years that lays the foundations for all their future learning and understanding. Maria Montessori lectured on exactly this in London 100 years ago and now, on the 60th anniversary of her death in May 1952, her work has come full circle.
‘We continue to support our 600-plus Montessori schools but the bid underscores our on-going commitment to take our values beyond the Montessori community.’
NCT will deliver courses in all three areas, including baby specific courses for parents with children under six months.
Belinda Phipps, chief Executive of NCT, said, ‘We are delighted to be involved in this trial, as supporting parents to feel more confident in their role is at the heart of what NCT stands for. We believe a child’s early years and the influence of their parents make a huge difference to their future and the society they help to shape.
'Many new mums and dads feel being a parent should come to them naturally, and it does, but support in the early weeks, months and years can help enhance the learning process – not to mention making it more fun, as you meet other people starting out on the same journey to share it with. What mums and dads have told us over the decades is that being a parent can bring challenges and changes as well as excitement and fulfilment, and that’s the reason NCT is here.’
Children’s minister Sarah Teather said, ‘Being a parent is one of the most important jobs you can do. Parents are the most important influence on a child’s healthy development and future lives. We know from the demand for self-help books and from speaking to mums and dads that they would welcome light touch key advice and support from time to time.’
She added, ‘Most parents go to ante-natal classes before their child is born. We want parents to be able to seek help and advice in the earliest years of their child's life and for this to be a normal part of family life.
‘Unfortunately in some people’s minds there is a stigma attached to asking for help or attending parenting classes. So we have chosen a wide range of expert organisations, with a good track record of reaching out to parents of all backgrounds.’
Parenting classes by area
Middlesbrough, High Peak in Derbyshire, and Camden, London
- National Childbirth Trust
- Family Links
- Save the Chidlren
- Fatherhood Institute
- Heart of England NHS trust
- Race Equality Foundation (with Mumsnet)
Camden only
- Montessori St Nicholas
- Mind Gym (Parent Gym)
- Coram
- City Literary Institute
Middlesbrough only
- Barnardo’s
High Peak only
- Derbyshire Council
- Family Lives
- Family Matters Institute
