In a new report, Parenting matters: early years and social mobility, Centre Forum says the approach would give parents crucial information and promote the view that good parenting is a skill that needs to be learnt.
It is backed by MP Graham Allen, who led the review into early intervention for the Government. The report has also been welcomed by children's minister Sarah Teather.
It argues that evidence shows the most important factor in children's development is the quality of parenting and care they receive and the quality of the 'home learning environment'.
The report says, 'What parents do is ultimately more important than who parents are. Parents from all social and educational backgrounds can and do provide home environments that are highly conducive to child development.'
It cites evidence that children from poorer backgrounds are less likely to have a 'rich home learning environment', putting them at a disadvantage in later life. Centre Forum backs the Government's call for parenting advice and support to be considered as necessary as antenatal classes, but says the state must offer incentives to encourage families with lower incomes to take part in parenting programmes.
It suggests that providers of support and advice could be offered 'payment by results' for attracting a target number of lower-income parents.
A portion of child benefit could also be dependent on parents attending the programmes. Or, if more targeting was thought necessary, these schemes could be reserved as a free entitlement for the same 20 per cent most disadvantaged families that would be entitled to subsidised nursery places for two-year-olds, 'with a staggered set of charges' linked to income.
Report author Chris Paterson said, 'It is only by taking steps that actively encourage awareness and participation among parents with lower incomes that engagement with parenting and the home environment can move beyond being a general tool for child development and become a genuine weapon against disadvantage.'
Citing the five-a-day concept used to promote healthy eating, the think-tank says a campaign would outline five things parents could do to benefit their infants.
Based on input from child development experts and child and family welfare organisations, Centre Forum suggests the following activities:
- Read to your child for 15 minutes
- Play with your child on the floor for ten minutes
- Talk with your child for 20 minutes with the television off
- Adopt positive attitudes towards your child and praise them frequently
- Give your child a nutritious diet to aid development.
Early years consultant Penny Tassoni said, 'There is a lot of sense in what Chris Paterson has set out in this document and it will undoubtedly trigger a useful debate on how best to engage with parents. The five-a-day model might be useful as part of a marketing campaign, but only if the targets are achievable.
'The current model would require parents to have 45 minutes a day free to devote to their child. This could be a tall order for working parents. That said, it is great to see that the importance of parents to young children's lives is being highlighted.'