Mellow Parenting

📅 One month to go until Mellow Up!

We're looking forward to welcoming Accredited Practitioners and those working towards Accreditation for a day of shared learning, professional development, and meaningful conversations.

Taking place on Monday 10 August at The Barracks Conference Centre in Stirling, this event will feature:

✨ A keynote learning experience with Infant Mental Health Specialist, Robin Balbernie
✨ Opportunities to connect with fellow Practitioners from across the Mellow network
✨ Discussions focused on responsive, relationship-centred practice and supporting diverse needs
✨ Time to reflect, share experiences, and learn together

Few spaces are left. Register free now: https://www.mellowparenting.org/news/news/mellow-up--stirling-10-august/

Updates | Mellow Up! | Stirling, 10 August Mellow Up! is back - an exclusive event for Accredited Practitioners to get together for a day of shared learning and insightful conversations. Join us at The Barracks Conference Centre on Monday, 10th August 2026.

A positive step forward for families and Family Hubs across England.

We are delighted to see the publication of the Department for Education's updated Best Start Family Hubs and Healthy Babies guidance, including the refreshed menu of evidence-based parenting interventions: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/best-start-family-hubs-and-healthy-babies-guidance-for-local-authorities/best-start-family-hubs-and-healthy-babies-parenting-and-home-learning-environment-menu-of-interventions

The guidance reinforces the importance of offering parents access to interventions that are grounded in evidence and delivered as part of wider relational, community and early help services.

We're particularly pleased that Mellow Toddlers continues to be included within the national menu, alongside the inclusion of Mellow Growing Together. Together, all the programmes on the updated menu give local authorities greater choice in how they support families through their Family Hubs, helping ensure parents can access evidence-based support that best meets their needs.

This is more than recognition of individual programmes. It reflects a shared commitment across the sector to ensuring families can access high-quality, evidence-based support that strengthens parent-child relationships, promotes children's development, and gives every child the strongest possible start in life.

A huge thank you to all of our local authority partners, practitioners, researchers and families who continue to champion relationship-based parenting support. We also recognise the collaborative efforts of colleagues across the Parenting Programmes Alliance in helping to champion the value of evidence-based parenting programmes.

We look forward to continuing to work alongside Family Hubs across England to support even more families in the years ahead.

Join us at Coffee & Connections - our monthly, informal chat to share recent and relevant research, and discuss new ideas to incorporate into our practice.

📅 Tue, 7 July - 8am (UK Time)
📍 Online via Teams

ℹ️ Find out more at [email protected]

See what Raquib Ibrahim, CEO at Mellow, had to say about his recent visit to Toy House in Tower Hamlets 💭:

"I left feeling genuinely inspired. Toy House has been delivering Mellow Parenting since 2011. Over 15 years later, they are still running Mellow groups, still welcoming parents and children through their doors, and still believing in the power of relationships to change lives.

"Walking into the centre felt a bit like stepping into a Mellow time capsule. Staff certificates proudly displayed on the walls, Mellow resources throughout the building, and, taking pride of place, a framed Mellow Excellence Award from 2016 displayed for everyone to see. But what moved me most wasn't the history on the walls, it was what is happening there today.

"I had the opportunity to meet a group of mums and babies currently taking part in Mellow. Listening to parents share their experiences was a powerful reminder of why this work matters. Their honesty, courage and willingness to support one another created a space that was full of warmth, connection and hope. What makes Toy House special is their unwavering commitment to relationships. They don't just deliver a 14-week programme. They build connections before the group starts, walk alongside families throughout the journey, share meals together, provide peer support, and continue to be there long after the programme has finished.

"In a world that often looks for quick fixes, Toy House continues to champion the belief that meaningful change takes time, trust and relationships.

"Thank you to Pip, Julie and the whole Toy House team for your dedication, passion and commitment over the last 15 years. You are a shining example of what can happen when communities invest in parents, children and relationships for the long term."

- Raq

Did you know that July is Good Care Month? 💜 An opportunity to recognise the people at the heart of family support.

Across Scotland and beyond, practitioners, carers, and frontline professionals make a lasting difference every day through their commitment, compassion, and expertise. Their work helps children, young people, and families feel seen, supported, and connected.

At Mellow Parenting, we are committed to investing in the people who deliver our programmes. Through training, accreditation, ongoing professional development, and opportunities to learn from one another (such as the upcoming Mellow Up! event), we support our Mellow Practitioners to build confidence and strengthen their practice.

When we invest in the workforce, we strengthen the support available to families and communities.

We are delighted to see more mums and dads being supported to access Mellow programmes in Türkiye.

Today, we are shining the spotlight on the Mellow Growing Together group delivered in the Eyüpsultan Municipality in partnership with Günyüzü Derneği.

Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Gn4YG5azluU?si=OlX7ACfiBj_tqk94

Whoosh! Can you believe June is over already?! 📨 This month's Mellow Mail has just been delivered!

Take a look at what we’ve been up, and don’t miss exclusive news of what’s coming next! 👀

Not subscribed yet? Sign up to Mellow’s monthly newsletter at: https://www.mellowparenting.org/about-newsletter/

We are delighted to see the New Zealand Government's recent investment of NZ$20 million to strengthen parenting support services across Aotearoa New Zealand. This significant commitment recognises the vital role that parents and caregivers play in giving children the best possible start in life.

At Mellow Parenting, we are especially pleased that this investment includes the continued delivery and expansion of Mellow programmes in Auckland. It is encouraging to see early relationships, parental wellbeing and evidence-informed parenting support being recognised as national priorities.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Ohomairangi Trust's Parenting Workshops, our long-standing partners in South Auckland. Their commitment to whānau, relationships and community-based support has helped ensure that Māori families can access culturally responsive parenting programmes, including Hoki ki te Rito (Mellow Parenting) and Mellow Ability. The work they do alongside Māori communities is truly inspiring.

Over the years, we have had the privilege of working alongside passionate practitioners, leaders and communities across New Zealand who are making a real difference for children and families every day. We are excited to continue supporting this growing network.

As part of this ongoing partnership, our CEO, Raquib Ibrahim, will be travelling to Auckland in August to deliver Mellow Ability facilitator training and to work alongside our partners to support programme planning, implementation and future development.

Together, we look forward to ensuring that even more children grow up in safe, nurturing and connected families.

Fathers matter. Their mental health matters. And the support they receive (or don’t) shapes the lives of their children.

Today is International Fathers’ Mental Health Day, an opportunity to highlight that, at Mellow, we believe every dad deserves access to support that was made for him. That’s why Mellow Dads and Mellow Dads-to-Be exist: evidence-based group programmes for fathers and father figures, delivered across the UK.

But we can’t reach every dad without more trained male facilitators. If you’re a male Practitioner who wants to make a lasting difference for dads and families, our June training offer is still open.

Use code IFMHD26 for 15% off. 📲 Book your discounted place at [email protected]

Because when fathers thrive, children and families thrive too. 💙

Find out more about International Fathers’ Mental Health Day at www.ifmhd.org

This weekend, we celebrate fathers and father figures and the important role they play in children’s lives.

When children experience warm, consistent and nurturing relationships, they are more likely to feel safe, confident and connected. And dads are a vital part of that story.

At Mellow Parenting, we believe every parent deserves support to build strong relationships with their children and create positive change that lasts. 💙 Happy Fathers’ Day to all the dads and father figures making a difference every day.