PRESS RELEASE: 2023 Parent Peer Support fund now open for applications

The Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, has today launched the 2024 Parent Peer Support fund. The fund is open to organisations working with parents and/or children and young people to facilitate the development and support of parent peer support groups.

Beneficiaries of the initial round of Parent Peer Support funding included organisations working with parents of LGBTI+ children, parents of children with a disability and parents of children who have recently migrated to Ireland.

This year, a total of €75,000 will be made available to 37 organisations with each successful applicant receiving €2000 to provide and promote parent peer support group activities across the country. 

Speaking today Minister O’Gorman commented:
“My Department is committed to continually enhancing the existing supports in place, whilst simultaneously implementing new initiatives designed to benefit children and their carers. Parent Peer Support Funding forms part of this commitment, and I was delighted to see how this funding enabled community and voluntary services to provide greater levels of support to parents around the country last year. I was eager to make this funding available again in 2024 following such positive feedback received from services.”

Children’s Rights Alliance is working hard to support all parents in their parenting role, including Ukrainian parents, migrant parents and parents living in International Protection Accommodation”.

How to apply

The funding terms and conditions, guidance note for applicants and the application form can be found here. 

For enquiries please contact: parentingsupport@equality.gov.ie 

Youghal Family Resource Initiative Co. Cork were one of the applicants who received funding under the Parent Peer Support pilot fund last year. A representative from the service commented:
“Thank you so much for awarding us the opportunity to support parents of children with additional needs through this funding. Parents in our area have told us they desire a parent support group to assist them in parenting their children and in meeting other parents on a similar journey to theirs.

This fund will enable us to set up a parent peer support group with the infrastructure required to support parents in a way they find empowering so that they can lead and be the voice of their own needs, experiences and opinions whilst assisted by our service to become an established parent group in our area.”

ENDS
Notes for editors
Supporting Parents: a National Model of Parenting Supports was developed in accordance with a commitment in First 5, a whole of government strategy for babies, young children and their families 2019-2028. The model 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 from across Government Departments, Agencies and community and voluntary organisations.

The introduction of Parent Peer Support funding builds on commitments set out within Supporting Parents (a National Model of Parent Support Services) through the provision of funding for the enhancement and promotion of supports to assist parents. The funding was operated on a pilot basis last year and following positive feedback and high levels of interest in the scheme, it was decided to make further funding available to services supporting parents again this year.

Queries can be directed to the Parenting Support Policy Unit by email to: parentingsupport@equality.gov.ie.