Minister O’Gorman allocates over €1m to children’s services in 2021

“This funding will make a real difference to families’ lives and to the organisations providing important services” – Minister O’Gorman

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’ Gorman, T.D., today announced a new funding measure to support training in organisations working with children, young people and their families, bringing the funding awarded in 2021 under the What Works initiative to over €1m this year.

The grantee organisations address a range of service needs, including family support, parenting support, domestic, sexual and gender based violence services, and supporting those with a disability.

The funding is provided through the following:

What Works Training Fund: A total of €100,000 will be provided through the new What Works Training Fund, supporting nonprofit community and voluntary organisations who provide direct services to children, young people and families to meet training needs. It will fund organisations who are members of Tusla Child and Family Support Networks (CFSNs) to engage in accredited evidence-informed or evidence-based training programmes to train staff to improve their services for children, young people and their families. Specifically, it will fund the thematic areas of parenting, non-violent resistance, and trauma-informed practice, as well as inclusiveness and diversity.
Learning Together Fund: Having previously announced 20 projects funded, the Department is now extending the Learning Together Fund to cover an additional ten projects, with funding of over €120,000. This announcement takes the total value of the fund to over €320,000, with thirty projects supported.
Children and Youth Digital Solutions Fund: This one year fund, created by Rethink Ireland through an allocation from What Works of €600,000, provides awardees with a cash grant of up to a maximum of €50,000 and a place on a comprehensive six-month Accelerator Programme, which will focus on equipping the projects to scale, so they can reach more people in need of their work.

Minister O’Gorman said:

“I am delighted to award over €1 million funding to a range of promising projects, all working in the area of prevention and early intervention. This is funding that will make a real difference to families lives and to the organisations providing these important services. The services being supported play a vital role in supporting vulnerable children and young people across Ireland.

“I want us to go even further to support these projects, so funding is available for as many interventions as possible for the benefit of vulnerable children and families. We must ensure services are equipped to help those who need it, particularly disadvantaged young people. Through What Works, my Department is helping in a coordinated way, and ultimately improving the lives of children, families and communities.”

Full details of the Training Fund, including how to apply, are available on the What Works website. Applicants should note that this fund will be open for two weeks only, and funding will be issued on a once-off basis.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

What Works

The What Works initiative, funded under Dormant Accounts, aims to take a coordinated approach to enhance capacity, knowledge and quality in prevention and early intervention for children, young people and their families, with a focus on those at risk of developing poor outcomes. At the core of the initiative is a desire to foster persistent curiosity amongst those working to improve the lives of children and young people in Ireland. What Works aims to support key groups working with children, young people and families to know what works, how it works and provide an evidence supported approach to the application of this work.

Learning Together Fund - Grantees

Initially, twenty grantees were awarded funding under the Learning Together Fund. These projects are listed here, along with the funding amount and the county/area in which the project is based. If you wish to contact any of these grantees, you may email What Works at whatworks@equality.gov.ie .

Further details of the awardees under the Children and Youth Digital Solutions Fund, which has been run by Rethink Ireland with an allocation from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are available online.