This page outlines the supports available to parents and carers of a child with an illness or injury.

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Parent & family carer supports and information

Caring for a sick child in hospital or at home can be very stressful for parents. The information below offers advice on who can provide support and information during this challenging time, as well as other relevant information.

Finding support – who can help you as a parent or family carer?

Hospital and community care professionals

Medical Social Workers offer a number of services to children, and their families, who are receiving care in hospital. These services are available to those who attend the hospital on either an inpatient or outpatient basis. Medical Social Workers offer both practical and emotional support to families. Ask your child’s medical team about a referral to the medical social worker.

Hospital Chaplains are specifically trained in pastoral care in a hospital setting and work as part of the multidisciplinary team in the hospital. They seek to meet the pastoral and emotional needs of patients and their families, and are available to be a source of comfort, compassion, and hope to families, particularly during times of crisis or bereavement.

A range of other professionals may be able to support depending on the situation, for example:

  • Outreach Nurse – The outreach nurse will support your child and family in the community. They can help to set up any additional supports and services that your child might require.
  • Psychologist – A psychologist may be available to support you during your child’s hospital stay. Ask your nurse or Medical Social Worker if you can avail of this support.

Public Health Nurses provide a range of healthcare services in the community. They are usually based in your local health centre and are assigned to cover specific geographical areas. Public Health Nurses sometimes provide aftercare to people who have been discharged from hospital.

They are one of the primary care services your child might receive.

The Public Health Nurse can help you understand the supports available and can make referrals to a range of services.

You can contact your local Public Health Nurse through your local health office

Carer Support Organisations 

Supports are available regardless of whether your child is in hospital for the first time, is receiving long term care in hospital or at home,
or you are caring for your child full time, or part time while also working.

Condition-specific supports for parents

Search our database to see if there is a condition-specific support organisation that provides supports, including peer support, to parents.

Many parents also connect to other parents with similar experiences on Facebook and other social media support groups. Many of these groups can be found using the search feature on Facebook or Instagram etc.

Financial supports, accommodation, transport, and other supports

Check out our other pages for further information about financial and other available supports

Financial supports

Accommodation & transport

Managing employment when your child is sick

When a child is hospitalised, paid employment for parents is often impacted. This could include requiring time off or a
leave of absence from work to care for your child, or needing some extra flexibility and support to allow you to bring your child to appointments.

Keep reading for tips and information on governmental benefits for parents in paid employment that might
assist you in managing paid employment while also caring for a sick child.

  • Statutory time off work to care for a dependent: As a parent in paid employment, you have the right to take reasonable time off to deal with a domestic emergency, which includes when your child is ill and you need time to make alternative arrangements for their care. Talk to your boss as soon as the issue arises, giving them a reason for the absence and how long you expect to be away.

  • Check your employment contract: Some employers provide paid compassionate or carer’s leave. Typically this is around five days per year, to deal with situations like looking after a sick child. Check your employment contract, company handbook or ask your union rep about any entitlements you have.

  • Sharing the burden: Remember that both parents are entitled to time off to look after ill children so it should not be assumed that one parent has to manage everything.

  • Flexible working: Some employers will have policies on flexible working, for example flexi-time, so you can organise your work hours around your caring duties. Check your staff handbook, talk to your union rep, or ask your manager what options might be available to you.

  • Talk to your employer: It can be stressful trying to manage paid employment while also caring for a sick child as well as the rest of your family. Talking to your employer as soon as possible will help you understand what options are available that you had not considered.

  • Contact support organisations: Contact Citizens Information Bureau or Family Carers Ireland for advice and to make sure you know your rights.

Governmental entitlements for parents in paid employment

Carer’s leave allows employees to take a temporary absence from work in order to provide full-time care to someone who needs it. You can take carer’s leave for a minimum of 13 weeks and up to a maximum of 104 weeks. Carer’s leave from employment is unpaid but your job will be kept open for when you return.

Fore more information, follow the links below:

Carer’s Leave (gov.ie)

Carer’s Leave (citizensinformation.ie)

Carer’s benefit is paid to people who have to take leave from paid employment, or reduce their working hours, to care for a person in need of full-time care. You must have enough PRSI contributions to avail of this payment. You can receive Carer’s Benefit for a maximum of 2 years (104 weeks) for each person that you are caring for.

For more information, follow the links below:

Carer’s Benefit – (gov.ie)

Carer’s Benefit – (citizensinformation.ie)

Parental leave lets parents take unpaid leave from work to spend time looking after their children. You can take up to 26 weeks’ parental leave for each eligible child before their 12th birthday, or their 16th birthday if your child has a disability or long-term illness. Parental leave is different to parent’s leave.

For more information, follow the links below:

Parental Leave (gov.ie)



Parental Leave (citizensinformation.ie)

Parent’s leave entitles each parent to 7 weeks’ leave during the first 2 years of a child’s life, or in the case of adoption, within 2 years of the placement of the child with the family. You can receive Parent’s Benefit while on Parent’s Leave if you have enough PRSI contributions.

Parent’s leave is different to parental leave.

For more information, follow the links below:

Parent’s Leave (gov.ie)

Parent’s Leave (citizensinformation.ie)

If you have a family crisis, you have a right to a limited time off work. This is called force majeure leave. You may need to take force majeure leave for an urgent family reason, such as the unexpected injury or illness of a ‘close family member’. You are entitled to take up to 3 days paid force majeure leave in any 12-month period, or 5 days in a 36-month period. Depending on your employer and your contract of employment, you may be able to take more than this, but you should check whether this additional leave is paid.

For more information, follow the links below:

Force Majeure (citizensinformation.ie)

If a member of your close family dies, you may be able to take compassionate leave. This depends on:

  • Your contract of employment 
  • The custom and practice within your workplace
  • Your employer’s discretion

For more information, please follow the link below:

Compassionate leave (citizensinformation.ie)

Unpaid leave for medical care was introduced on 3 July 2023. It allows for 5 days unpaid leave if you need time off work to deal with serious medical care for a child or other relevant person like a family member.

You have a right to 5 days leave for medical care in any 12 consecutive months. You don’t have to give your employer notice to take the leave in emergency circumstances but you should give notice if it’s possible to do so.

You don’t need to take the leave all at once. It can be taken as single or multiple days.

Planning for the future

We have compiled some useful information and resources that might help you to start planning for your child’s future.
This includes information to help you prepare for your child’s transition to adult healthcare services, for them attending further education, as well as financial planning for the future.

Getting ready to move to adult healthcare services

As your child approaches the age of 16, you should start to prepare both yourself and your child for their transition to adult healthcare services. Depending on your child’s medical condition and the hospital they are attending, the age your child actually moves to adult services, when planning for their move should begin, and what your child’s new care service might look like may vary.

  • Depending on your child’s condition, they may move to adult services at age 16, or later, as determined by their doctor.

  • Transition can happen quite quickly, and without much consultation, so you should start asking your child’s healthcare team about transition planning at least one year before your child’s 16th birthday.

  • Adult clinics and units may not have some of the supports available that you may have been able to access while under the care of children’s services such as play specialists, sensory rooms, etc. Make sure to check with your child’s new care team what supports are available.

  • Be prepared for your child to start being admitted through adult emergency services from age 16.

  • Review the information in the SteppingUp website to help you prepare for what to expect and to begin involving your child in managing their condition.

www.SteppingUp.ie

SteppingUp provides information, checklists, personal stories and more, to help young people and their families prepare to move to adult healthcare services.

Education pathways and supports

The organisations listed below provide information and advice to help you to understand the options and supports available for children with a disability or long term illness. These may include alternative pathways to further and third-level education, employment supports, and training schemes.

Finances for the future

Planning for your child’s future financial security can be a daunting and confusing task. Certain benefits and entitlements will change or require a new application once your child turns 16. It might be useful to consider creating a will and thinking about what financial options are available to ensure your child’s future needs are taken care of.

The information below may help you to start planning for you and your child’s financial future.

  • Changes to governmental benefits at age 16 – Eligibility for certain benefits change at age 16. The resources below can help you understand these changes.

  • Charity supports – Some charities support children or adults only. As your child turns 16 or older, they may now be able to access supports they were not able to access as children.

  • Free webinars and workshops – Financial Wellbeing (see below) provides excellent free webinars/workshops. They cover special needs trusts, wills, guardians, trustees, bank accounts, letters of wishes, hospital passports, hidden entitlements, and how best to fund your child’s trust. They also have an excellent blog which is updated with lots of useful information, especially when there are changes to benefits. You can sign up for the newsletter here.

Useful resources