Barnardos begin survey on parental difficulties

Children’s charity Barnardos today began a nationwide campaign to survey parents on what puts them under pressure.

It is calling on parents to register their views on special Barnardos postcards which the charity has placed in Statoil service stations around the country. Parents can also register their views by logging on to the charity's website, www.barnardos.ie.

Barnardos says it will release the findings of the survey in October in the hope it can inform government policy.

Director of fundraising, Ms Deirdre Mortell said: "Parents are rarely asked what is specifically pressuring them. Our campaign aims to highlight to both political parties and parents themselves what parenting problems exist in Ireland today."

The charity says its research shows 73 per cent of adults believe that being a good parent "is harder than it used to be".

The postcard survey is part of the charity’s ‘Every Child Matters’ campaign aimed at raising awareness of the realities children’s lives in Ireland.