Roderic O'Gorman

A new funding model aims to enable the Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) to enhance and expand their delivery of support services, with up to €50,000 made available to each of the 27 CYPSC for the 2023 period.

Proposals were received for a broad range of initiatives to run at local and national level including:

• the expansion of the ‘My Place to Play’ initiative, a family support and early childhood development resource;
• the translation of Tusla parenting support guides for dissemination to protection applicants nationally;
• the organisation of a variety of summer camps/programmes/projects integrating children and young people into Irish communities;
• the coordination of counselling services and trauma informed therapy supports for adolescents; and
• the delivery of culturally sensitive parenting programmes.

Roderic O’Gorman, the minister for children, equality, disability, integration and youth, said: “A cornerstone of A White Paper to End Direct Provision is a focus on meeting the needs of children, young people and families in the international protection system through the provision of targeted supports.

“The launch of this new funding model will help enhance those supports by bolstering the good work already being carried out by the Children and Young People’s Services Committees, enabling them to progress new initiatives and expand their delivery of services to international protection applicants.”