Parent And Child Awareness
Campaign (PACA)

It has probably happened to you; you go to the supermarket or shopping centre with your children. You spy the last parent and child space and just as you get to it someone drives into the space, no children in their car giving you that supercillious 'mine, I think' smile. Maybe you are tired of seeing those extra large spaces filled up by off-roaders and people carriers because they don't fit into normal sized spaces. You are not alone.

Expectant mother of two Sarah Doherty and her husband Shamus are fed up with almost always hitting a brick wall when they are out with their two children. So much so, they decided to launch PACA.

Parent And Child Awareness was formed purely out of frustration with regards to baby spaces, or rather the abuse of baby spaces at their local supermarket. "What really got my goat was when the child and baby spaces had been reduced in number and moved even further from the store entrance."

By setting up PACA they plan to change the approach to parents and children. The aim is simply to increase the awareness of a parent's needs and requirements.

PACA would like to see retailers taking more care and pride in their facilities, and providing amenities that will truly benefit their target consumers, making it a much more enjoyable experience from start to finish, no matter what the activity.

"At the end of the day none of us want to get soaked trying to get kids and shopping in the car whilst juggling a normally otherwise hectic lifestyle, and we would much rather have no tantrums and upset children. We just want people to think more positively about what they could do to make the parents' role easier. After all, we do not choose the time in which we have to do these things; they simply have to be achieved." explains Sarah.

"PACA is extremely important to me as a mother I have two children aged 3 and 1, and I am currently 6 months pregnant with my third. It can be so frustrating and stressful trying to achieve even the most simplest of things. Most of the time, the tasks that I do in a day have to be done, they cannot be put off and so for working parents this must be even worse." Sarah continues

"The best resolution for PACA would be to see at least the majority of supermarkets and council owned car parks take action. We would like to see more parent parking spaces, the possibility of cover being provided for these outdoor spaces, these spaces to be policed, cleaner changing facilities, and amenities that fathers are able to use also. Parents just need recognition.

To find out more visit the PACA website

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