Helen Dent CBE today announced that she will retire as chief executive next spring, after 16 years at Family Action.

David Holmes, chief executive at the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) has been appointed to replace her and will join in March 2013.

Dent oversaw the Family Welfare Association’s takeover of the Family Services Unit in 2006 which resulted in the rebrand to Family Action in 2008. In 2009 the charity won the effectiveness award at the Charity Awards for the way the takeover was handled.

Family Action’s chair of trustees, Bryan Portman said: “Under Helen’s leadership Family Action has grown into a truly national organisation providing invaluable support and services to thousands of service users. She has campaigned vigorously on behalf of disadvantaged and socially isolated families at all levels of government, in the media and at conferences and seminars across the country.

“Her influence on Family Action will be felt long after her retirement and she will leave the organisation in a significantly better place from where she started.

Family Action provides emotional, practical and financial support to disadvantaged families in England. Its income for the year ended March 2011 was £22m.

Dent said: “It has been a privilege to work for Family Action for the last 16 years.”

Her replacement, David Holmes, has been chief executive of the BAAF for almost seven years and previously held senior roles in children’s services in the voluntary sector, local government and central government.

He said: “It has been a privilege to lead BAAF for nearly seven years and to see the organisation go from strength to strength. Family Action is a new and exciting challenge for me and one that I am looking forward to very much.”