Raising Parents is an intimate and impactful short film that reimagines how we talk about parenthood, shining a light on the unseen mental health struggles that many parents quietly carry. Behind every child’s laughter and milestones are parents who often feel stretched thin, unseen, and silently battling the weight of expectation. Too often, parents feel overwhelmed, isolated, and pressured to “do it all,” while fearing they are never doing enough.
The urgency of this issue is underscored by the 2024 U.S. Surgeon General’s report, Parents Under Pressure, which revealed that parents are increasingly “burnt out and perpetually behind,” struggling to balance modern demands with their own well-being. This crisis is rarely given the visibility it deserves.
With Raising Parents, UNICEF set out to change that. The film reflects the raw emotions parents rarely share, while offering comfort and solidarity through the power of story.
Key objectives:
- Alleviate emotional pressures by normalizing the struggles of parenting through authentic stories of love, resilience, and joy.
- Spotlight mental health as a vital yet overlooked dimension of parenting and caregiving.
- Create a non-judgmental space where parents from diverse backgrounds can see themselves, share experiences, and feel less alone.
- Challenge stigma and myths around what “good parenting” looks like, dismantling the notion that struggle equals failure.
- Mobilize support for broader parenting and social inclusion initiatives.
By amplifying parents’ firsthand voices, Raising Parents encourages empathy, dialogue, and collective action; when we support parents, we strengthen families, communities, and society itself.
At the heart of Raising Parents was a simple but powerful conviction: real parents, telling real stories. To bring this vision to life, we designed a global production that was as diverse as the families we aimed to reach.
We worked with four families from four corners of the world, each embodying a unique parenting reality. In Bolivia, a family opened a window into the world of autism, learning to see joy and wonder through their child’s perspective. In Türkiye, we followed a grieving mother navigating both profound personal loss and the responsibility of raising her daughters after a devastating earthquake. In Thailand, a cross-cultural couple reflected on how the isolation of the pandemic tested—and ultimately deepened—their partnership. And in South Africa, a mother spoke candidly about postpartum depression, guilt, and the courage to ask for help.
This diversity was deliberate: we wanted Raising Parents to be inclusive regardless of culture or circumstance. We also subtitled in English, Arabic, Spanish, and French, widening access across global audiences.
We made a creative decision to embrace a longer 24-minute mini-documentary format, rather than a short content piece. This gave space for character development, conflict, and resolution, allowing viewers to truly connect with the parents’ journeys. Blending cinematic storytelling with archival photos and raw unscripted emotion, the film invited audiences to see themselves in the struggles and triumphs on screen.
Distribution and Reach
The campaign launched with screenings in more than 10 countries, bringing together UNICEF staff, partners, donors, and communities. These events were not passive viewings; they became conversations to advocate for more parenting and child friendly policies.
Globally, Raising Parents Documentary premiered on all UNICEF YouTube channels on June 1, International Day of Parents, marking the start of UNICEF’s Parenting Month. Paid social media marketing ensured the film reached parents where they already spend their time online.
We also took the bold step of distributing the film on major streaming platforms—Apple TV, Amazon, and Roku Tv—placing Raising Parents alongside mainstream entertainment, signaling that parenting stories deserve equal visibility.
We created an online destination www.unicef.org/parenting/raising-parents for audiences to watch the film, learn more about the issues and to share their own experiences. Many did, providing touching and insightful testimonies on what their most important lesson as a parent, which have been published on UNICEF’s global Parenting Hub www.unicef.org/parenting/inspiration/most-important-parenting-lessons.
And as the film continues to gather momentum, we’re showcasing new episodes from additional countries www.unicef.org/parenting/raising-parents/stories to enrich the conversation about what parenting looks like today and the support every family needs and deserves.
Overcoming Challenges
Filming families across continents came with logistical and cultural challenges. Filming intimate stories required building deep trust, navigating sensitive topics, and ensuring families felt safe and supported throughout the process.
Ultimately, it was these challenges that shaped the uniqueness of Raising Parents. The film doesn’t present a polished ideal of parenting—it presents vulnerability and resilience. And that is why it resonates so deeply with audiences worldwide.
The film launched on June 01 2025, and generated 8.9 million views on UNICEF’s YouTube channels by end of June.
Beyond views, the project also drove tangible growth, bringing in more than 9,000 new subscribers to UNICEF’s Global YouTube channel. This growth demonstrated not only reach but also resonance—parents and caregivers wanted to stay connected and continue hearing more stories like these.
The campaign landing page received more than 850,000 views in June 2025.
Importantly, analytics revealed a significant increase in engagement among male viewers aged 24–35, a demographic that had historically been less engaged with parenting-related content. This shift underscored the film’s success in broadening conversations about parenting beyond traditional audiences.
Screenings in 10 countries with high ranking private and public officials —including the First Lady of Suriname, the Ministers of Public Health, and European Union ambassadors to South Sudan—ensuring that our messages on parenting reached decision-makers who shape policy and programs.
Equally powerful was the qualitative impact. We received hundreds of heartfelt comments and messages from parents who expressed relief, encouragement, and solidarity:
“So many of us are parenting without a manual. Just heart, instinct and deep hope. Thank you for spotlighting real stories that remind us we are not alone. Parenting isn’t a solo act; it’s a shared journey.”
For us, this is the measure of true success: not only did Raising Parents spark visibility at scale, but it also created authentic connection, proving that when parents see and hear each other, stigma breaks and resilience grows.
