The report, Supporting Parenting: a Study of Parents' Support Needs, was undertaken by the Centre for Social and Educational Research in the Dublin Institute of Technology, Rathmines under my Department's families research programme I established in 1999 to support innovative, original research in the field of family policy and family services. The study has only recently been finalised and submitted to my Department. It is being prepared for publication and I propose to officially launch it on 27 November, after which date it will be widely circulated to members of the Oireachtas, policy makers, Departments, the social partners, interest groups and voluntary and community groups with an interest in family matters.
The study involved 1000 parents, 800 mothers and 200 fathers, with diverse economic, social and family backgrounds. A number of focus groups with children were conducted as part of the study. The result is a comprehensive and in-depth study of parents' perspectives on their parenting role and the supports available to them within their own family network, in their local community environment and through family support services such as antenatal classes, public health nurses, local family and community resource centres and other community supports. The study contains analyses of the interest shown by parents in parenting education and classes, the factors which influence them in their parenting styles, their concerns about the physical and parental care of their children and both parents' and children's views about the enjoyable aspects of parenting relationships. The principal concerns identified by parents related to child safety, speedy access to medical services and access to quality child care. Of the parents surveyed 142 were concerned about being able to provide enough food for their children. The study points to the correlation between this concern and living on low income.
The parents surveyed identified a wide range of supports for themselves and their children. These include play, leisure and recreation facilities, financial support with childcare expenses and for stay-at-home parents and additional support with day-to-day expenses for parents on lower incomes to assist with school costs and to facilitate parents' involvement in education and training. Access to childcare and after-school care and appropriate services for lone mothers with very young children as well as better access to information about what is available were also identified as important parenting supports.
