Parental Engagement and Relationships (PEAR) in Early Childhood (EC)

2026-07-22

In Ireland, 29% of children under six are at risk of poverty, compared to 26% in Europe. Poverty negatively affects children's early development and parental engagement in children’s education, with long-term effects. Ending poverty and ensuring quality education for all from early childhood are interrelated UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) can drive development and combat poverty through its multiplier effects, while providing parental support (PS) to engage with children’s education can further extend these effects. Commitments to ECEC and PS are reflected in emerging EU and Irish policy. However, coherent guidance on ECEC PS modalities is lacking and the effectiveness of practice rarely evaluated. Also, despite evidence of beneficial outcomes, the interaction between PS and poverty is neglected, as well as engagement with fathers/coparents. CDI is testing a model to improve children’s outcomes by integrating PS within ECEC services in Tallaght, a disadvantagd area in Ireland. The researcher, Dr. Catarina Leitão, will carry out a fellowship to study this model under the intersectoral supervision of Marian Quinn, CDI’s CEO and Professor Noirin Hayes of Trinity College Dublin. This fellowship will make a timely contribution to ECEC research and policy-practice gaps, particularly in the context of Ireland's recent (2019) commitment to PS through ECEC services. It will advance understanding of the characteristics and conditions related to positive child, parent and service outcomes by examining service quality, family background and gender effects. It will combine a quasi-experimental matching design and standardised tools that allow internal and external comparability, with innovative qualitative methods (e.g. Photovoice) that empower child and family voice. Lastly, it will optimise intersectoral collaboration to widely communicate and disseminate findings, enhancing potential for social impact.

Ireland

2026-02-15