CYPSC Child Action Poverty Plan
The launch of the Kildare Poverty Profile took place on Friday 14th of November at 10.30am in the Dept. of Children, Disability and Equality. The Poverty Profile was launched by Lara Hynes, Assistant Secretary, Child Policy and Tusla Governance Division
In 2024, the Irish Government launched four pilot Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans (LACPAP) supported by funding from the What Works initiative and Dormant Accounts. These plans, created in collaboration with Children and Young People's Services Committees (CYPSC) and Local Community and Development Committees (LCDC), seek to enhance services and improve access to resources, ultimately benefiting disadvantaged children and families. Of the four pilots selected, Kildare CYPSC in conjunction with Sláintecare Athy, and LCDC was one.
The pilot scheme is a key initiative within Ireland’s National Action Plan[1] under the EU Child Guarantee[2], which aims to ensure that every child has access to essential services like healthcare and education. At its core, the EU Child Guarantee seeks to “prevent and combat social exclusion by guaranteeing the access of children in need to a set of key services.” This goal aligns with Ireland’s national guidance for the LACPAP pilot scheme[3] which emphasises ensuring that disadvantaged families and children can access the services they need within their local communities.
[1] Ireland’s European Child Guarantee National Action Plan.
[2] Access to key services for children in need: Council agrees European Child Guarantee - Consilium
[3] Minister announces funding for Local Area Child Poverty Action Plans.
The Kildare Child Poverty Initiative addresses key challenges faced by children and families living in areas of disadvantage, particularly those from neurodivergent backgrounds, by improving access to essential services and supports. Critical components also include the following.
- CPD and Networking Events to encourage inter-disciplinary and inter-agency relationship-building among professionals.
- Information Resource/Service Directory to provide a comprehensive guide to available supports.
- Occupational Therapy-led Initiative to engage with parents, professionals, and children/young people to enhance service delivery.
- Plural Practice Support to offer specialised clinical guidance for children/young people and parents based on specific orientations.
- Evaluation to implement a structured process to assess the initiative’s impact and effectiveness.
The development of a ‘poverty profile’ represents a crucial first step in shaping the Kildare Child Poverty Initiative, as it provides a clear understanding of the challenges faced by children and families living in disadvantaged areas, particularly those within neurodivergent populations.
The poverty profile in particular provides a detailed profile of the population living close to the four Family Resources Centres (FRCs) in Kildare, including:
- Newbridge
- Athy
- Kildare Town
- The Curragh
Copies of the plan will be available online in the coming days.
And the photo caption is: Members of the Kildare Children and young Person’s Services Committee (CYPSC), Kildare Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) , HSE Health Promotion and Improvement, HSE Primary Care, Tusla Child and Family Support Network, Local Development Officer (LDO) and community delivery partners, Kildare Leader Partnership and Family Resource Centres. With Lara Hynes.
