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Child Care Services Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 September 2012

Wednesday, 26 September 2012

Ceisteanna (17)

Thomas P. Broughan

Ceist:

17. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her policy on children’s bereavement support provision; if support will be provided for the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40495/12]

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Freagraí scríofa

The Family Support Agency provides funding to voluntary and community organisations providing marriage, relationship, child and bereavement counselling services. Some 600 organisations are funded each year. These services aim to support people to deal with difficulties they are experiencing in their relationships, to help children whose lives have been affected by parental separation and to support families who have experienced the death of a family member. Over 20,000, individual counselling sessions were delivered within Family Resource Centres in 2010.

In 2011, the Family Support Agency, which is under the remit of my Department, provided €10,000 to fund a scoping study on the feasibility and necessity of a bereavement network. I subsequently launched the Irish Childhood Bereavement Network in July 2012. The Network is a hub for those working with bereaved children, young people and their families, which improves access to bereavement information, allow for the sharing of expertise, knowledge and experience, and improve the range and quality of bereavement support available to children, young people, and crucially, those caring for them. In this respect it is very welcome. The Network is being hosted for an initial period by the Irish Hospice Foundation. It will be the subject of an interim review after 2 years and an evaluation after 5 years.

The Network is in the early stages of development and is currently inviting members, with a target of seventy members set for the first year. I am advised by the Family Support Agency that it provides funding to many of the members of the Network, and that any collaboration which improves efficiencies is to be welcomed .

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