Our Story
ParentRoot Collective was created to ensure no parent navigates the journey alone. We provide compassionate, practical, and evidence-informed spaces where families can build emotional resilience, strengthen connections, and thrive.
Many parents face overwhelming pressures, and traditional support can feel disconnected or judgmental. That’s why our programmes — from one-to-one mentoring to our signature Root & Rise reparenting space — focus on reflection, healing, and practical tools that create lasting change.
By partnering with schools and community organisations, we help families root in confidence, rise to challenges, and strengthen whole communities. Happier, more resilient parents lead to thriving pupils and reduced pressure on staff.
Why It Matters for Schools & Communities
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Strengthens home-school relationships and engagement
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Supports pupils to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally
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Reduces pressure on staff and pastoral teams
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Provides evidence-informed support that aligns with whole-school priorities and community wellbeing
Leadership & Expertise
ParentRoot Collective is led by Dawn Kay, a highly experienced practitioner and strategist with over 25 years supporting families, children, and communities across the UK. Combining lived experience with professional expertise, she brings a deep understanding of the realities faced by families in areas of high deprivation.
Dawn began her career working with young people at risk of exclusion, delivering mentoring and residential programmes focused on early intervention and long-term outcomes. She has since led large-scale children and family initiatives, including growing a community-based children’s programme from a small pilot to over 70 regular participants within three years.
Her strategic experience spans regional and national organisations, supporting hundreds of community groups to strengthen their work with families. She has specialised in estate-based and place-based programmes, serving as an estates advisor and Development Manager with Eden, establishing teams in some of the UK’s most deprived communities.
Alongside frontline and strategic work, Dawn has spent over a decade designing, delivering, and training others in practical, creative approaches to engaging families. She is a recognised parenting expert, regularly consulted by national media, and has written extensively on parenting and family wellbeing.
Dawn holds qualifications in Law, Play Therapy, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Brain Story neuroscience-informed practice, and trauma-informed approaches, alongside extensive experience in community development and early intervention.
Through ParentRoot Collective, Dawn combines lived experience, evidence-informed practice, and systems-level insight to deliver programmes that strengthen families, build community connections, and improve outcomes for children and parents, particularly in the most challenging contexts.
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