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Children's Budget 2022
Get PDFReportOver the last 12 months, children and their families have faced great uncertainty and disruption to their lives. For some, it has compounded existing disadvantage. For others, it has presented children and parents with and forced them to confront certain adversities and challenges for the first time. Our annual Back to School Survey report found families faced considerable levels of financial concerns, isolation, lack of social support, mental health difficulties and tensions at home, particularly heightened for certain groups such as lone parents and unemployed parents. There is a risk that these adversities have had a knock on impact on children’s development and their wellbeing. As one parent said: ‘Children adapt but they also soak everything in like little sponges. They see and hear everything at home, even when we try our best to shelter them from adult conversations etc. Then they carry this with them on top of their worries & the covid anxiety.” Our survey findings echo what we have witnessed across our services. Children struggling to readjust to rules and routines, and an increase in families being referred to our services suffering a combination of mental health issues, domestic violence and addiction issues. Budget 2022 must signal hope and opportunity to children and families whose lives and wellbeing have been negatively affected by the pandemic and/or disadvantaged prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. A hope that where there is a need for help and support it will be met, that they will not have to address problems on their own. It must demonstrate that where children and families are struggling the government will provide the resources and opportunities necessary to provide a helping hand. Finances need to be committed in the Budget by Government in order to ensure this. Below we outline where we believe these resources would be best directed
Third National Domestic Violence Strategy
Get PDFPaperBarnardos has been delivering quality, evidenced based services, providing practical and emotional supports to children, parents and families for almost 60 years. In 2020 we worked with more than 18,000 children and families across our 41 centres. Approximately 40% of the families we work with have experience of domestic violence and abuse. Often it is not mentioned when a family is referred to Barnardos for support, but emerges during the course of our work when a child, young person or parent is comfortable enough to tell us what is happening in their family. We see first-hand the harmful impact domestic violence and abuse can have on all domains of a child’s life. However, through our work, children and families are supported to keep safe and to heal from their experiences and we see the positive outcomes that can be achieved.. Barnardos works across prevention, early intervention, crisis and recovery through our work in family support, targeted early intervention services and the TLC Kidz domestic violence and abuse recovery programmes. Additionally, Barnardos hosts the Childhood Domestic Violence and Abuse project in partnership with Tusla DSGBV. It aims to increase the visiblity of childhood domestic violence and abuse and supports a collective and collaborative approach to identifying the needs of children and deliver effective services in response. Central to this is clearly naming children and young people’s experience, and developing a common understanding of this. Our submission is structured around the four pillars of the Council of Europe Istanbul Convention, setting out what we believe has been missing from previous strategies and what we recommend be included in the governments third strategy. Many of our points cross all strands of the pillars, in particular children seen as victims of domestic violence and abuse in their own right
Stories and Storytelling in Early Learning and Care
No full textBookletTelling stories is an ancient and important way for humans to share and interpret
our experiences, and to learn about ourselves, the world around us and other
people. Children are never too young for stories and most children have a natural
love of stories that create magic and a sense of wonder at the world.
Developing and maintaining a good relationship with the children in your early
learning and care setting and doing all you can to support their wellbeing,
learning and development is hugely important. Storytelling and story reading are
among the most enjoyable ways to do this, whether this is individually, in small
groups or, occasionally, in large groups. Sharing stories is a great way to spend
quality time with the children and to strengthen the relationship they have with
you, helping them to feel cared for, safe and secure.
This resource outlines how stories support children’s learning and development,
and offers guidance on ways to engage children and make the most of the stories
you tell them
Back to School - Executive Summary: 2021
Get PDFPaperFor more than a decade Barnardos has been carrying out an online survey investigating the costs that parents incur when sending their children to school at the start of the school term. Last year the content and format of the survey was updated to reflect the effects of Covid-19. This year we further developed the survey to determine the adversities and difficulties families faced over the past twelve months. In total 1,473 parents completed the survey; 1,023 with children in primary school, while the remaining 450 respondents’ children attend secondary school. There were a further 121 respondents to the Children and Young People’s Survey. Our survey shows that children are largely happy and excited about returning to school in September and parents feel likewise. However, parents have concerns and worries about their children’s development. Additionally, the past twelve months has presented their families with increased challenges and adversity
‘Working Together Online’ A Barnardos Evaluation of Online Work with Children & Families 2021
Get PDFEvaluation reportDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, Barnardos faced the challenge of supporting children and families amid lockdowns and social distancing. The organisation responded swiftly and compassionately, rapidly shifting to online platforms to deliver vital support and therapeutic services. Prior to the pandemic, Barnardos had limited experience with digital service delivery, so this transition required significant adaptation while maintaining core values like connection, trust, and collaboration. Funding from Rethink Ireland in 2021 enabled an evaluation of these new online practices, aiming to identify strengths, gaps, and lessons for future integration of digital services. The evaluation included literature reviews, surveys, interviews, and focus groups with service users and staff. Findings highlighted the benefits and challenges of digital delivery, emphasizing that while some aspects of social care require face-to-face interaction, online tools can complement traditional methods. Barnardos remains committed to high-quality, trauma-informed, and needs-led service delivery, blending digital and in-person supports moving forward
Stories and Storytelling in Early Learning and Care
Get PDFBookletTelling stories is an ancient and important way for humans to share and interpret our experiences, and to learn about ourselves, the world around us and other people. Children are never too young for stories and most children have a natural love of stories that create magic and a sense of wonder at the world. Developing and maintaining a good relationship with the children in your early learning and care setting and doing all you can to support their wellbeing, learning and development is hugely important. Storytelling and story reading are among the most enjoyable ways to do this, whether this is individually, in small groups or, occasionally, in large groups. Sharing stories is a great way to spend quality time with the children and to strengthen the relationship they have with you, helping them to feel cared for, safe and secure. This resource outlines how stories support children’s learning and development, and offers guidance on ways to engage children and make the most of the stories you tell them
Early Years eNews: Issue 1
No full textNewsletterIt has been a difficult start to the year for the early learning and care sector amidst current Covid restrictions and the expectations being placed on services. There is helpful guidance available from First 5 around Covid 19 in ELC and SAC, including info on steps to take if there is a suspected or confirmed case in your setting
Early Years eNews: Issue 3
No full textIn this third issue of Early Years eNews of the year we bring you details of Childhood Services Week 2021, which will take place from 24th to 29th May and focus on the Arts. We hope you will all get involved to celebrate children's creativity and artistic development. We also bring details of other updates including the launch of the Childminding Action Plan, a pathway to be developed over the next eight years that sets out steps towards regulation, support and subsidies, for all paid, non-relative childminders as well as other news from across the sector
R is for Reach Out
Get PDFPresentationThis lesson is about online behaviour and tries to show you how to use the internet in a positive way. It looks at cyberbullying and shows you ways to reach out and be kind to others online
Listening and Responding to Babies and Young Children
Get PDFBookletFostering good relationships with the children in your care and their families is the single most important priority for a childminder. Research shows that positive, caring and respectful relationships with the important people in their lives, both in their family and outside it, are the essential foundation for children’s learning, development, health and wellbeing. Being sensitive to the needs and feelings of the children is key in developing and maintaining a close relationship with them. This resource provides information and guidance on listening and responding well to babies and young children up to the age of three