A new Government-backed academy specialising in how parents should bring up their children will open in London this autumn, ministers said.
The National Academy for Parenting Practitioners will give specialist training to staff who teach parenting classes amid concern that more families need extra support.
Backed by a £30 million Government grant, the academy will be based at King's College London and will begin training courses and research into parenting in October.
Children's Minister Beverley Hughes said the Government wanted to help parents do their job well.
"Parents increasingly seek help with bringing up their children and we want to be as supportive as we possibly can," she said.
"The role a parent plays is integral to a child's development and their future life chances, which is why we want to help parents get it right.
"This academy will be an international and national hub for the exchange of ideas and learning, providing the very latest research and training in supporting parents."
The academy will combine expertise from King's College London with the specialist experience of charities Parenting UK and the Family and Parenting Institute.
It will train staff who work with parents in schools, children's centres and the health service.
Ministers have urged parents to spend more time reading to their children and playing with them. The Government also wants parents to become more involved in their children's schooling.
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