What we do
Barnardo’s Parenting Matters project promotes positive childhood experiences by working with parents and communities.
Our project covers all of Northern Ireland and currently has 12 staff, including eight outreach workers delivering and designing parenting education programmes.
We aim to:
- offer outreach parent support and education programmes to parents and carers experiencing difficulty or disadvantage
- enhance relationships between parents and children and the overall quality of family life
- work with parents to lessen isolation and to strengthen informal and community networks.
Barnardo's Parenting Matters project runs parenting programmes in schools, community centres, nurseries, playgroups and other settings across Northern Ireland. To find out about groups in your area please contact us.
As well as running parenting groups, the project also offers the following services:
- support groups for parents who have finished programmes
- training for parents to be able to facilitate parenting programmes themselves (The Parent Facilitator Training)
- general Information about our services and about parenting initiatives in Northern Ireland
- research, policy and information.
Barnardo's Parenting Matters project also produces a series of booklets for parents on topics that come up regularly in our groups. The following titles are currently available to parents:
- Support and Information for Parents of Teenagers
- A Guide for Families when Dad is in Prison
- Staying in Touch: A Guide for Fathers in Prison (we are planning to distribute this booklet to the 66,000 fathers in prison in the UK)
- Fair Play: Talking with Children about Prejudice and Discrimination (this booklet is going into its fourth print run because of the huge demand for it).
(Single copies of the booklets are free to people in the UK and Ireland. For larger quantities a small charge may be required.)
