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Queen’s Research Offers Free Advice and Support to Parents
Take part in one of the most exciting and largest studies on parenting in Ireland.
Queen’s University researchers, working on behalf of the Lifestart Foundation, are looking for parents with babies under one year of age to take part in one the largest ever studies of families and parenting ever undertaken in Ireland. Newtownards will be one of the areas included in the study. The aim of the Lifestart Study is to evaluate the Lifestart - Home Based Parenting Programme. Those who participate in the research will be able to receive free feedback on their child’s development.
Dr Helga Sneddon from the Institute of Child Care Research at Queen’s School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social work said:
“The Lifestart Study aims to evaluate how well the Lifestart – Home Based Parenting Programme works for parents and children. We are giving parents the opportunity to share directly with us their experiences and the type of support they find useful in their role as parents.”
“The Lifestart programme aims to support families, with children aged from birth to five through the ups and downs of parenting by helping them, on a month by month basis, learn and understand more about their child’s development. Of the 500 families we are seeking to take part in this research, 250 of them will be entered into the Lifestart programme. This will allow us to find out more about their experiences of parenting compared to those who are not involved in the Lifestart programme.
All families who volunteer to take part in The Lifestart Study will be visited by us in their homes during their child’s first year, again when the child is two and a half, and finally when the child is five years old. Throughout this time, we will talk with those who parent about their parenting experiences and be able to provide some useful free feedback to them on their child’s development.
“Taking part in the study will help us improve early years parenting support and identify gaps in the services available to parents throughout Ireland. Parents should look out for our Lifestart leaflets coming through their doors over the next few months that give more details about taking part in the study. Parents can also call our free-phone numbers: in N. Ireland call 0800 0855031, in the Republic of Ireland call 1800 818 688, or they can email us on lifestartstudy@qub.ac.uk
The researchers are seeking parents from 17 areas across Ireland to participate in the study: Lifford/Letterkenny (Donegal), Newtowncunningham (Donegal), Ballymun (Dublin), Carlow/Kilkenny, Cherry Orchard (Dublin), Drogheda (Louth), Edenderry (Offaly/Kildare), Leitrim, Mulhuddart (Dublin), Sligo, Ballymagroarty/Hazelbank/Coshquin (Derry), Enniskillen, Limavady, Mid-Ards (Down), Strabane, Shantallow (Derry).
The Lifestart Study is funded by Lifestart with support from Atlantic Philanthropies. Helga Sneddon is based at the Institute of Child Care Research and Sarah Allen is based at the School of Education at Queens.
Lifestart OCN
Lifestart Mid-Ards parents recently completed an OCN (Open College network) accredited Parent education programme. Between them; 9 parents received 25 level 1 units in Creative parenting, Practical parenting and Parental personal development. Project Manager Una Gilmore said ‘We are delighted to be able to celebrate the parent’s success in achieving these awards. Parents from Portavogie, Portaferry, Ardkeen, Ballyhalbert and Greyabbey undertook the programme and were joined by family and friends who helped celebrate their success. Our congratulations to Kate Braniff, Kathy Carlile, Lesley Ann Coffey, Deborah Marcus, Sharon McClements, Diane McCracken, Mairead O’Neill, Edith Orr, Dee Presho and also to Vicky Bryan and Lesley Wilson who facilitated the programme for the parents.’
Lifestart Mid-Ards who were recently awarded the Mayor’s Special Award for Civic Endeavour, provide the Lifestart Parent Education programme which is additional to and complements the Parent and Child development programme offered to parents in the Ards Peninsula and Gregstown and Central wards of Newtownards, and is something that will be ongoing as part of the work of the Lifestart project.
The Lifestart Foundation Office which is an OCN Accredited Centre under whose auspices the Parent Course is delivered were very happy and highly impressed with the standard and quality of the work achieved by the participants who undertook the Parenting Education programme.
The Parent Education programme was funded by the Eastern Childcare Partnership and was held locally in the South East Regional College (Kircubbin campus). The provision of a crèche by Surestart Ards Peninsula enabled the parents to participate in the programme on a weekly basis and we would like to give our thanks to Mairead Watson and Lesley Arthurs who looked after the children so well.
Lifestart Mid-Ards is affiliated to the Lifestart Foundation, is funded by Big Lottery, Local Strategy Partnership in Ards through the EU Programme for Peace & Reconciliation and works in partnership with Surestart Ards Peninsula.
For further information on Lifestart please visit; www.lifestartfoundation.org
