Minister Foley announces that the largest ever Parent Peer Support Fund is now open for applications
- From: Department of Children, Disability and Equality
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The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, has today announced that the €177,500 Parent Peer Support Fund is now open for applications. This year’s fund is the largest since its launch in 2022.
Parent peer support is when parents support each other by sharing knowledge, reducing feelings of isolation, and providing encouragement to navigate challenges and achieve well-being.
Grants of up to €5,000 can be provided to organisations working with parents and/or carers to support them to develop parent peer support initiatives. This includes peer support for parents who share similar life experiences, such as raising a child with an illness or a mental health condition.
Speaking today Minister Foley commented:
“I am delighted to launch the 2026/27 Parent Peer Support Fund. This annual funding enables numerous organisations to operate projects which are led by parents, for parents. The Department has increased the overall funding for this year by 13% which will allow greater numbers of parents to benefit from parent peer support initiatives across the country throughout 2027”.
The introduction of the Parent Peer Support Fund builds on commitments set out in Supporting Parents: A National Model of Parent Support Services, through the provision of funding for the enhancement and promotion of supports to assist parents.
Last year, a total of €152,500 was distributed among 49 organisations under the Parent Peer Support fund. The funding was awarded to a variety of parent peer support projects in organisations across Ireland. This included projects with a focus on supporting parents; who have experienced domestic violence, whose children are in hospital, whose children are LGBT, whose children have additional support needs and many other supports.
The Parent Peer Support fund will be made available under two tiers of funding.
· Tier 1 will provide grants of €2,500 to 41 successful applicants who either currently operate or wish to establish a new parent peer support project.
· Tier 2 will provide grants of €5,000 to 15 successful applicants who wish to scale up an existing parent peer support project, which is already having a positive impact on parents.
How to apply
Application forms for the €2,500 and €5,000 funding tiers, along with the funding Guidance and Terms and Conditions can be found below.
Applications must be submitted by Monday 2 November 2026. Funding will be made available to successful applicants in early 2027.
For enquiries please contact:
ENDS
Notes for Editors
Supporting Parents: A National Model of Parenting Support Services 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, Disability and Equality (DCDE), with input from a wide range of stakeholders from across Government Departments, agencies and community and voluntary organisations.
The Parent Peer Support Fund provided grants of €2,000 to 25 services when it was first launched in 2022, and this funding increased to a total of 37 services in 2023.
In 2024, the fund increased to €100,000 and a second tier of funding was introduced which awarded grants of €5,000 to 5 established services, enabling provision of expanded levels of peer support within these services. The 2025/26 fund further expanded upon these enhanced supports by providing tier 1 payments of €2,500 to 37 services, and tier 2 payments of €5,000 to 12 services.
Total funding of €177,500 will be awarded to 56 services this year.
Tier 1 will provide 41 grants of €2,500 to services who either currently operate, or wish to establish new peer support projects, while Tier 2 will provide 15 grants of €5,000 to services who wish to scale up an existing parent peer support project, which is already having a positive impact on parents.
Queries can be directed to the Parenting Support Policy Unit by email to: