Providing effective parenting supports is important for ensuring the health and wellbeing of children and their parents during their early years and beyond. Resourcing and supporting parents in their parenting role also ensures the best possible start in life for children and can mitigate some of the more negative impacts of intergenerational poverty, challenging family circumstances and inter-parental conflict.

Supporting Parents: A National Model of Parenting Support Services defines parenting supports as the provision of information and services aimed at strengthening parents’ knowledge, confidence and skills to help achieve the best outcomes for children and families. There is an inherent complexity in describing parenting support as parenting touches on all parts of family life. 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.

Page 75 Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery: A health-led response to drug and alcohol use in Ireland 2017-2025