I was listening to Marie Agnes Strack-Zimmerman, a German MEP answer a question on the delivery of Taurus missiles to Ukraine at a forum in Copenhagen. She was momentarily interrupted by the gurgles of a 4 month old sat on the knee of a friend from the Danish Radikale party. As Zimmerman remarked that it was good to get her interested in defence policy so young, it struck me that I had rarely, if ever, seen children so comfortably integrated into British political spaces.

We have some mums brave Lib Dem Conference with a papoose, but having spoken to even some of the most determined parents, it’s clearly harder to coordinate family life around the party than it should be. Some question whether their families are welcome at all.

I for one want to make it overwhelmingly clear that the Liberal Democrats welcomes members as they navigate family life and that we should be striving to be the best party to be a parent or carer. I want to hear from you about making conference, the nerve centre of our party, work for families.

The Federal Conference Committee’s survey for parents, guardians and anyone expecting is open for your input. If your children are grown up or you’re a professional childcare provider, please answer no to the first question and use the free-form text box to share your views.

There are small things I can do from the Conference Committee. Whether it’s seek out changing and microwave facilities to be listed in the Directory or mention to a speaker that their baby is welcome on stage, if they want to deliver their speech with them in tow. But we need help reaching the parents on the periphery. Do your bit and forward our survey to members in your local party and network, those with the potential to be make waves in politics but for whom it isn’t designed. Yet.

Lets start a conversations about combatting the drop off in political representation, particularly for women, around the time we start families. Let’s support the dads smashing the stereotype that they should be uninvolved in hands-on care. Let’s be the party that accounts for unseen care and promotes equality in society, and lets start with our own house (or conference centre).

The online survey will be open until  28th March and will inform the FCC and its sub-committees as part of a review of the support we provide for members to access Conference. While funds are understandably limited, we are keen to understand what demand exists and explore a variety of options with parents for meeting that demand.

* Eleanor Kelly is a Vice Chair of the Federal Conference Committee