Barnardos 'has 2,000 vulnerable children and families on waiting list'
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More than 2,000 vulnerable children and families are currently on Barnardos’ waiting list for help combatting child poverty and other traumas.
Barnardos worked with 26,009 children and adults through their targeted and early intervention services in 2023 — an increase of 25% from the previous year, the children’s charity’s Annual Report 2023 shows.
Barnardos reported 2,011 individuals as waiting for services. More than half of those on the list are waiting for longer than three months, and more than 600 are waiting for longer than six months.
Barnardos recorded an overall deficit of €0.7m in 2023 due to the increased demand for the charity’s services and needs to raise €10m this year through the support of the public to meet the growing demand.
As a charitable organisation, Barnardos is dependent on fundraising efforts and State funding to deliver its services.
Increased pressure on families drove demand for support from Barnardos in 2023, the charity found.
Additional funding for intensive family support to meet increasing demand is vital to help reduce pressures on the care system and help children thrive, the charity said.
The organisation provides trauma informed evidence-based services for children, parents, carers, and individuals in their homes, schools, or in one of Barnardos' 56 service locations across Ireland.
Some 49% of children the charity supported in 2023 were aged 11-18, another 31% were aged 6-10, and 20% were aged 0-5.
Barnardos chairman Martin Dobey said: “2023 represented a challenging year for Barnardos, the impact of the rising cost of living and the ongoing housing crisis has seen an increase of 25% in the numbers of children and families we work with in our targeted services and increases in waiting lists across many of our projects.”
“We are grateful for the support of our state funders but financial arrangements agreed on a year to year basis without a long term multi annual view is structurally precarious.
Barnardos supports children and families impacted by adverse childhood experiences such as:
- Parental separation and conflict;
- Emotional and behavioural issues;
- Unsuitable housing;
- Parental mental health issues;
- Bereavement;
- Poverty and enforced deprivation;
- Addiction;
- Domestic violence and abuse.
Ahead of the general election, Barnardos is calling on all parties to commit to significantly increase funding for intensive family support services to reduce the harm and trauma to children exposed to these issues. This would enable the charity to reach more vulnerable and disadvantaged children and parents and better meet the level of need for support across the country, it said.
Increasing access to support and addressing family difficulties would help reduce stresses on parents, improve family relationships, prevent their problems escalating and ultimately place vulnerable children in a better position to flourish and thrive in the future, the charity stated, adding:
“Many have increased over the past number of years, in particular homelessness and enforced deprivation, as a result of the cost of living crisis. For example, there must be improved targeted income supports guaranteeing children don’t go without essentials and a strategy to reduce family homelessness.”
Barnardos CEO Suzanne Connolly said: “At Barnardos, we see firsthand the impact that trauma can have on children and the impact early intervention can have on their life — because childhood lasts a lifetime.
"Children are at the centre of everything we do. We start by meeting each family, and we ask the children and parents what they would like to change — and we help them achieve that. More families need our help — our waiting lists are evidence of that. More and more families are also impacted by the housing and cost of living crises — we are doing everything in our power to support them through this also.
“We are very proud of our frontline staff for supporting more families than ever before, however we do not feel our job is done while so many children and their parents wait for support. The next Government must increase funding to match increasing levels of need and guarantee children and families can get access to the supports they need”.