Deadline: 31-Oct-2025
The Parent Peer Support Fund 2025/26, launched under Goal 2 of Supporting Parents: A National Model of Parenting Support Services, aims to promote greater access to parenting support services across Ireland.
The initiative recognizes the power of peer support in helping parents and caregivers feel more confident, empowered, and connected within their communities. By fostering supportive peer networks, the program seeks to enhance parenting skills, build resilience, and ultimately create a more positive environment for children and young people.
Administered by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, the fund is designed to assist statutory, community, and voluntary organisations that lead or coordinate peer support initiatives for parents or those in a parenting role. These projects are expected to focus on best practices in peer support, whether through expanding existing initiatives or launching new ones.
The 2025/26 Parent Peer Support Fund offers two levels of funding to suit different stages of project development. Tier 1 provides grants of €2,500 for organisations currently running or planning to start a parent peer support project. Tier 2 provides grants of €5,000 for organisations seeking to scale up an existing project that has already demonstrated a positive impact. Each organisation may apply under only one funding tier, ensuring that resources are distributed equitably among applicants.
The fund’s key objectives include improving access to peer support for parents, increasing awareness and the number of such initiatives across statutory and community settings, and fostering collaboration with parents in developing support resources rather than simply delivering them. It also seeks to encourage the establishment of peer support programs in communities that have not yet benefited from these services.
Funding will be offered as a one-off grant, with no provision for ongoing financial support. Eligible applicants include practitioners and service providers in the statutory, community, and voluntary sectors who work with parents or caregivers to develop and strengthen parent peer support activities. Through this initiative, Ireland aims to cultivate a stronger, more connected network of parents who can support each other and contribute to the well-being and development of their families.
For more information, visit Gov.ie.
