The ABC Programme
The Area-Based Childhood (ABC) programme aims to improve outcomes for children and their families in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country. The programme has a particular emphasis on improving health, educational and social outcomes for children and on improving the effectiveness of existing services for them.
ABC Programmes target investment in evidence-informed interventions to improve the long-term outcomes for children and families living in areas of disadvantage. It aims to break the cycle of child poverty in areas where children are most disadvantaged through integrated and effective services and interventions.
The Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is a national Prevention and Early Intervention (PEIN) Programme funded by Department of Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth (DCDEIY), delivered through the Prevention Partnership and Family Support Programme (PPFS) within Tusla. Delivered in thirteen different areas of disadvantage around the country, it was originally funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) and the Atlantic Philanthropies between 2013 and 2017
The Better Finglas Programme
Better Finglas has a vision of a community where all services; voluntary, statutory, and community, are working together with families to improve the developmental, health and educational outcomes of young children living in the area. We will do this by the provision of unified evidence based programmes and quality services, to children and their parents, from pregnancy to 8 years of age.
Better Finglas was developed by a wide consortium of agencies, organisations, groups, and individuals working in the Finglas area. Barnardos as the lead agency is responsible for the day to day management and administration of the project. Better Finglas recognises the benefits of early intervention strategies for children and the main target group for the project is 0-8 year old children and their parents.
We have identified 6 key strands that our programme of activities will focus on, these are:
Pregnancy and New Parents; Parenting, Early Years; Literacy; Social, Emotional & Well-Being and Interagency Work.
Our Objectives
- To increase access to evidence based programmes and evidence informed activities from pre-birth to 8 years.
- To enhance parenting skills and increase parents capacity to support their children’s development.
- To improve children’s developmental outcomes.
- To improve children’s literacy in first and second class.
- To increase the capacity of service providers to deliver high quality, evidence based programmes with fidelity in an appropriate, timely, and sustainable manner.
- To increase community awareness of and use of service provision.
- To build on good inter-agency working to deliver a continuum of coordinated, high quality service provision, from pre-conception to childhood.