4.1 Policy Context Overview

Policy related to children’s relationships with their parents in the first years of their

life has centred on creating time for the parents to spend with their child to build

close relationships. As part of First 5: A Whole-of-Government Strategy for Babies,

Young Children and their Families 2019-2028, Objective 1 states: “Parents will be

assisted to balance working and caring to contribute to optimum child development

and to best suit their family circumstances.” (DCYA, 2019). As part of this objective,

the government has seen the enactment of a new paternity leave policy of 2 weeks’

paid leave, an extension to the amount of leave given under parent’s leave to 9 weeks

in the child’s first 2 years and the inauguration of the National Childcare Scheme (see

section 3.1). Additionally, the adoptive benefit facilitates parents who have recently

adopted a child to spend time with their child, offering a 24-week paid benefit.

The main policy in relation to socio-emotional well-being for both parents and

children is Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone 2020-2030 (DoH,

2020). The stated vision for this policy framework is, “to create a mental health

system that addresses the needs of the population through a focus on the

requirements of the individual” (p.16). There is a focus on support that is oriented to

recovery and based in the community. In relation to young children, the policy states

its support for Objective 6 from the First 5 strategy: “that ‘babies, young children and

their parents enjoy positive mental health’. The aim of this objective is to improve the

early identification of mental health difficulties among babies, young children and

families, and to provide access to mental health supports and services that integrate

into child-serving settings and the wider community” (p.27). Additionally, the Draft

Programme for Government 2025 – Securing Ireland’s Future makes specific

commitments to supporting perinatal mental healthcare (Department of the

Taoiseach 2025, p. 96), while Tusla have published Area Based Childhood Programme:

A Framework for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health – Supporting Young Children’s

Mental Health from pregnancy to 5 years (Infant Mental Health Subgroup [IMHS]

2022).

In 2024, the Health Research Board [HRB] published a ‘Mental Health Research

Strategy’ to support the implementation of Sharing the Vision (HRB, 2024). Four of

the ‘priority groups’ identified are children: those who are (a) in care, (b) living with a

parent who has a mental health difficulty, (c) experiencing bullying, or (d) experiencing

family conflict (p.32). The strategy also notes that the first high-level priority in the

EU’s Roadmap for Mental Health Research in Europe is “research into mental health

prevention, promotion, and interventions in children, adolescents and young adults.”

(p.12). It is important, therefore, that Growing Up in Ireland is in a position to support

these research objectives.

4.2 Findings from Growing Up in Ireland Cohort 08 at age 3 years29