Barnardos children’s charity today announced that 1,724 families have needed their help during the first four weeks of the COVID 19 restrictions.
Barnardos children’s charity today announced that 1,724 families have needed their help during the first four weeks of the COVID 19 restrictions. The children’s charity urges the Government to prioritise at risk children in the roll out of their Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business.
The charity’s frontline staff provided vital emotional and practical support to families in person, online and on phone, and by providing food parcels, hot meals, activity packs baby essentials and food shop vouchers – with 587 families currently on waiting lists for services.
Families needed the following supports:
- 1,724 Families received emotional and practical help via in person and phone support
- 1,264 Food parcels
- 3,000 Hot meals
- 1,563 Activity packs – tailored to the children’s developmental age and stage
- Other essentials such as baby supplies and food shop vouchers
Barnardos CEO Suzanne Connolly said: ”Barnardos staff have been declared essential frontline services through this crisis, and as such we have adapted our services to meet the needs of hundreds of families across Ireland. By providing home deliveries of food or activity packs we have been able to check in with parents and children and provide emotional supports – whilst adhering to social distancing guidelines.
“The Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business prioritises the more vulnerable groups in our society – ‘those for whom home is not a safe space’ – we urge them to consider children at risk as one of the most vulnerable groups, many of whom are living with domestic abuse, parental mental health challenges, neglect, acrimonious separation and family breakdown and addiction – now with no escape.
“Barnardos is committed to being there for these children and their families during the COVID 19 crisis, and are so grateful to the public for their continued support.”
Barnardos Project Worker Tracey said: “As I pulled up around the corner in the Barnardos Bus, the mum from the family that I work with was waving out the window when she saw me coming. I stopped outside the home and left the food supplies and school resources inside the garden wall. The mum spoke to me about her concerns regarding Covid 19 and her underlying health issue and about how if she becomes unwell – what will happen to her children as she has no one else to care for them. During our chat the young person and their brothers and sister that I work with came out to the step to tell me all his news and how things were for him. As I drove away and looked in my back mirror the family of five were still waving to me…this type of family support is vital – now more than ever before”.
To support Barnardos work with families during the COVID19 crisis please donate at www.barnardos.ie/donate
