Information about Childcare in Ireland

• The Citizens Information Board is the statutory body which supports the provision of information, advice and advocacy on a broad range of public and social services. 

  For further information:  Citizens information: Family and Relationships

• Tusla (Child and Family Agency) have prepared a short guide was written to help parents who have recently arrived in Ireland which provides information to help families navigate cultural differences, laws and ways of parenting here, which may be different to their country of origin.
  Access the guide here: Tusla guide for parents who are newly arrived in Ireland

• Westmeath County Childcare Committee are the first point of contact for anyone seeking advice, information or support in relation to early childhood care and education within Westmeath County.
  Connect with them here Westmeath County Childcare Committee

• National Childcare Scheme (NCS) NCS provides financial support to help families with their early learning and childcare costs.
  For further information visit website here National Childcare Scheme

Other Family Supports Available:

Barnardos Bereavement Service provides trauma and grief support for Ukrainian parents. This webpage is in Ukrainian and is a hub for all Barnardos resources translated to Ukrainian.

Further information here: Support for bereaved Ukrainian children and families - Barnardos 

Barnardos Bereavement Support for Ukrainian children and families

Barnardos IPAS Family Support Westmeath - Barnardos offers a family support service to families in IPAS in the Westmeath area. They work with families on some of the following issues:

• Parental separation
• Children exposed to trauma
• Homelessness
• Bereavement / loss
• Domestic violence
• Parental substance abuse
• Parent-child bonding and attachment
• Parental mental health
• Children leaving state care
• Anxiety in very young children

A referral to Barnardos can be completed through a self-referral from a family or an agency referral e.g. GP/school/TUSLA/IPAS centre/LAIT.

Self referrals can also be made using the following form Barnardos Self Referral Form

There is currently one IPAS Project Worker with Barnardos in Westmeath, Longford, Laois & Offaly area;

Contact: Anita Cleare, IPAS Project Worker, Phone: 086 201 3276 Email: anita.cleare@barnardos.ie 

Barnardos mission is to "transform the lives of vulnerable children because childhood lasts a lifetime”