Parents and Guardians

Parents and guardians have the primary responsibility for the care and protection of their children. However, at times they may need support and assistance from the State in carrying out their responsibilities as a parent. In some cases, for a range of reasons, parents are not able to provide proper care and protection for their children, and more intensive assistance is needed to keep the children safe from harm. Interventions by the State aim to build on the existing strengths of the family. Support is offered to help the family to overcome any difficulties and to ensure that the child is safe. With assistance, most families can make the necessary changes to keep their child safe.

While the role of parents is to protect their children, society also has a duty to promote the welfare and safety of children. Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children states that it is everyone’s business to protect children and young people and that we all need to do our best to keep them safe. It is important that families, communities and professionals can recognise when a child or young person is being harmed and that they know what action to take in response.

It is accepted that in general a child fares best within his or her own family.

If at all possible support will be offered to the child and family to overcome any difficulties and to ensure that the child is safe. A child may only be removed from his or her family as a last resort and only if it is not possible to keep the child safe within the family setting.

With the assistance of community or family support services, most families can make the necessary changes to protect their child and will not need social work intervention.

If, as a parent/guardian, you have concerns that a child is being harmed then you need to know how to recognise abuse and how to report a concern.

If you are a foster carer there is additional information that you will need to know - further details available here.

Information for Parents and Guardians on Mandated Persons  |  Faisnéis do Thuismitheoirí agus do Chaomhnóirí maidir le Daoine Sainordaithe

Under Children First, National Guidance for the protection and Welfare of Children, all organisations that provide services to children should develop specific policies and procedures on how to keep your child safe.

The Children First Act 2015 places obligations on organisations that are called ‘providers of relevant services’ to have a Child Safeguarding Statement in place. Relevant services include early years services, schools, hospitals and health centres, sports clubs, etc. As a parent, you have a right to request a copy of this statement and the policies and procedures that the organisations have in place.

This short video, from Tusla’s Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit (CSSCU), provides information on what a child safeguarding statement is. This video aims to help you, as a parent, understand the responsibilities of certain organisations to keep children safe, while they are attending them. If you have additional questions or concerns about an organisation’s child safeguarding statement, you can contact the CSSCU at csscu@tusla.ie.

If an organisation does not have a Child Safeguarding Statement or fails to make one available to you on request, you can contact the Tusla Child Safeguarding Statement Compliance Unit.  

The services/ activities that parents avail of need to have reporting procedures in place should they have concerns that a child is being harmed in the home or elsewhere. There are some services that are not required to have a Child Safeguarding Statement in place under the Children First Act 2015 . However, Children First Guidance and best practice suggests that they have child safeguarding policies and procedures in place to keep children safe.

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is a relevant service under the Children First Act 2015. Tusla’s Child Safeguarding Statement and child safeguarding policies and procedures can be accessed here.