From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today launched Supporting Parents: A National Model of Parenting Support Services.
Supporting Parents is a cross-government approach to ensuring:
Speaking about the model, Minister O’Gorman said:
“I am very proud to deliver the publication of Supporting Parents: A National Model for Parenting Support Services.
“The past few years have not been an easy period for parents in Ireland. It can be difficult for parents to know what to do, especially in a time of high stress or turmoil. The role of parenting support services is invaluable in this respect.
“The vision of Supporting Parents is for all parents to be confident and capable in their parenting role, helping to achieve the best outcomes for children and families. It also sets out a cross-government, cross-society approach to ensure that all parents can access high quality supports in a timely manner."
In developing Supporting Parents, the government seeks to improve services by setting out a shared vision with agreed principles and shared goals to promote a cohesive, joined-up national approach to parenting supports. The plan takes account of existing policies and commitments, and seeks to strengthen and develop mechanisms for effective coordination, co-operation and collaboration.
Minister O'Gorman concluded:
“Evidence and experience from around the world shows that for us to create positive change, we need the involvement of the whole community, and the whole of government, working together.
“I hope that our work on Supporting Parents will not only raise awareness of parenting support services, but help us to meet the needs of everyone who plays a parenting role in our society.”
Supporting Parents is a national model for parenting support services, which takes a whole-of-government approach to improving supports for parenting. It follows a commitment in First 5 to improve existing parenting supports provided across a range of government departments and State agencies, through the development of a national model.
The vision of Supporting Parents is for all parents to be confident and capable in their parenting role, helping to achieve the best outcomes for children and families.
In developing Supporting Parents, the government seeks to improve services by setting out a shared vision with agreed principles and shared goals to promote a cohesive, joined-up national approach across different sectors. The plan takes account of existing policies and commitments in relation to parenting supports, and seeks to strengthen and develop mechanisms for effective coordination, co-operation and collaboration.
Parenting support services provide information and services aimed at strengthening parents’ knowledge, confidence and skills to help achieve the best outcomes for children and families. Examples of parenting supports include:
A broad range of parenting supports, delivered in a variety of formats, is required to meet the needs of all parents and their children.
Supporting Parents defines a parent as any person with a parenting role, which is any person with primary or major responsibility for the care of a child under the age of 18 years. The term parent is applied in the most inclusive manner as possible, and includes biological parents, adoptive parents, foster carers, step-parents, kinship carers, and guardians.
Supporting Parents was developed by a collaborative working group led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY), with input from a wide range of stakeholders across government departments, agencies and community and voluntary organisations. The experiences, views and preferences of parents, children and young people were captured through research, online consultation and direct engagement.
Supporting Parents has been informed by Irish and international research on the support needs of parents and on the role of parents in achieving better outcomes for their children.
Supporting Parents sets out 23 actions to allow for greater access, information and inclusion with regard to parenting support services, which includes plans to:
The structure of Supporting Parents allows for a number of groups that will oversee the implementation of all actions:
The cross-government actions in Supporting Parents: A National Model for Parenting Support Services will take place over a five year period. Progress on these actions will be reviewed on an annual basis.
Actions in 2022 include a review of the current provision of home visiting services for families with babies and young children, and the development of a communications plan to raise awareness of parenting support services.
Priorities for future investment across Government will be informed by a Steering Group which will be assembled for the implementation of Supporting Parents.
