yblive summer 2009
Welcome to the first issue of yblive the youngballymun Newsletter Summer 2009.
youngballymun is a groundbreaking initiative, planned here in Ballymun, and resourced by the Atlantic Philanthropies and the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.
Our local partners and ourselves want to measurably enhance learning and wellbeing outcomes for children and young people in Ballymun. The best way of doing that we believe is through an integrated programme of evidence-based services and supports for children and families across the lifecycle from birth to early adulthood.
So, for the last two years great people and organisations in Ballymun and further afield have worked hard to embed a vision for change for children across many crucial services. Their hard work and visionary thinking is a measure of the depth of local commitment to improving the wellbeing and life chances of children and young people in Ballymun.
Together with our partners we believe the youngballymun strategy is uniquely positioned to make a measurable and sustainable difference in children’s lives, particularly in these trying times for everyone. That’s because youngballymun is about starting at the very beginning of a child’s life, about connecting local expertise and knowledge with international research and models of best practice and about providing supports at the key ages and stages through to early adulthood. This means that the progress and gains every child makes are built upon as they move through life and children and families in Ballymun have ready access to the very best in terms of supports and interventions to ensure their wellbeing. Children and families deserve nothing less.
The collective goal across Ballymun is the delivery of responsive, respectful, strengths-based services to children, young people and families – services that measurably support them and enable them to gain maximum benefit from the rich network of social, community, health and learning supports available to them here in Ballymun.
Focus on services
In each issue, we focus on two services, sharing detailed information on our progress with the crucial community-based services that we are implementing with our partners. In this our first issue the focus is on Ready, Steady, Grow - our service for 0-3 year-olds and 3,4,5 Learning Years - our service for 3-5 year-olds.
Read more about Focus on Services
Ready, Steady Grow
Ready, Steady, Grow is the name of our service dedicated to the very youngest little people in Ballymun! Ready, Steady, Grow is all about linking in with parents before the birth of a new baby, being there with parents and infants in the vital early months and then supporting the journey, growth and development of the babies and toddlers, making sure that they get the very best start in life that each of them and their families deserve.
The service has 3 strands: antenatal, the Parent and Child Psychological Support Programme, and an infant mental health awareness-raising and training strand.
Read more about Ready, Steady, Grow
3,4,5 Learning Years
3,4,5 Learning Years is our service for children in early childhood care and education centres in Ballymun. The focus in on quality early years provision through Siolta, the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Development and Education and Highscope, an evidenced based programme to support children’s readiness for school. Read articles written by Joanne Waters, Early Years Quality Coordinator, Mary Brady, Manager, Tir na nOg and Nora Gibbons, Barmardos, Director of Advocacy.
Read more about 3,4,5 Learning Years
60 second bulletins
The 60 second bulletins section of the newsletter gives you brief updates on where we are with our other services and key activities, including the evaluation of youngballymun.
Read more 60 second bulletins
Highlights
In Highlights we ‘highlight’ a new development or initiative that we want to let you know about. In this issue we highlight the new community members on our Board.
View our board highlights
Out And About
The Out And About section gives you information on events and celebrations that youngballymun has been involved with here in Ballymun and further afield.
View our Out and About section
Staying in Touch
Staying in Touch gives contact details for youngballymun and previews our autumn issue which will be circulated in September 2009.
Preview our next newsletter
Last Word
Ballymun Home Support Services are delighted to have The Last Word in the first youngballymun newsletter as we have been providing supports to families in Ballymun for a very long time. We are delighted to be sharing our experience and knowledge with youngballymun.
Reflections from Aileen Doyle, Anne Fahey, Florence Lawlor
AND FINALLY….
Our first issue of yblive is an opportunity to say a sincere thank-you to everyone who has worked to make youngballymun a reality. There are two groups of people in particular we want to thank.
Firstly, youngballymun can only prove itself if people and organisations step forward and take the risk of making the work real. Key agencies, leaders and service providers in Ballymun and elsewhere have taken that visionary step forward with us and we sincerely appreciate your skills, hard work and passion in bringing the work to life and in toiling through the complexities of setting up the services.
Secondly, in the course of planning, and now delivering, the youngballymun programme of work we have met formally and informally with many residents and parents in Ballymun. You have encouraged the work along the way; expressing your confidence that we can make the difference for children and families in Ballymun. Those of you who have become actively involved with us are already, at this very early stage, describing the beginnings of that difference.
Thank-you to all of you who have given youngballymun the best possible start through your support and encouragement, your skills and expertise, and through turning a plan into a practical programme of services and activities.
Eleanor McClorey, CE, youngballymun
