With more than one quarter of workers on the Central Coast commuting outside the region for their job, new research aims to shed light on the challenge of juggling work, travel and family life.

The University of Newcastle's Family Action Centre is joining with Interrelate Family Services on the project that aims to develop strategies to assist families, particularly those with young children, in the Central Coast region.

Researchers are looking to speak with local parents who commute more than an hour to work each day and have at least one child aged 0-5 years in day care on the day or days they travel.

Chief Investigator, Dr Richard Fletcher, said the Central Coast was the ideal place to launch the study.

"Commuting is an important issue for Central Coast families as more than one quarter of the workforce have a job outside the region - some travelling more than two hours each day," Dr Richard Fletcher, Leader of the Family Action Centre's Fathers and Families Research Program, said.

"We know that many working parents often feel rushed for time and commuting parents must work that bit harder to juggle travel, work and family.

"It is important we find out how parents keep good connections with their children, especially young kids, when they are away from home that extra time due to travel."

The findings of the study will be used by Interrelate Gosford to inform the work they do to support commuting families develop healthy and sustainable family relationships.

Interested parents can contact Jennifer St George on (02) 4921 6690 or Wendy Gunthorpe on (02) 4921 6115 (Tuesday to Thursday) at the Family Action Centre to register their interest.