A Child is Born Conference

youngballymun hosted its first annual conference on December 10th 2009 in the Axis Arts Centre, with President Mary McAleese delivering the key note address.
The President emphasised the vital importance of the ‘early engraving’ in the marble of life that takes place in the child’s earliest months and years. She underscored her enthusiasm for every initiative that supports parents and children in those early and formative life stages and acknowledged the unique contribution of the lifecycle approach to the provision of services to children and families taken by youngballymun.
The conference was attended by a hundred and fifty participants  from Ballymun, from the greater Dublin area and from around the country who had the opportunity to hear Dr. Stuart Shanker (Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology, University of York, Ontario, Canada), Professor Helene Cerezo (Chair of Psychology, University of Valencia, Spain) and Ms Mary Fanning (Coordinator of the youngballymun service for 0-3’s and their families - Ready, Steady, Grow) share innovative research, practice and learning.
Conference participants came from a broad spread of sectors. Local agencies and services present including Lifestart, Trinity Comprehensive School, Aisling, BRYR, the Drop-In Well Family Resource Centre, CAFTA, Ballymun Women’s Resource Centre, Ballymun Youthreach, BRL,  Ballymun Whitehall Area Partnership, local early years providers Little Rascals and Aladdin’s Cave, Ballymun Adult Read and Write Scheme, the Community Training Centre and the Axis Arts and Community Resource Centre. There were participants from national children’s organisations Barnardos and the ISPCC, from the Children’s Rights Alliance and early childhood care and education organisations the NCNA, the IPPA and Early Years, Northern Ireland.  The field of infant and child health was strongly represented with participants from the HSE (public health nursing, speech and language therapy, psychology), the Mater CAMHS, Mater CAMHS NI, Temple Street and Crumlin Children’s Hospitals, Cherry Orchard Hospital, Baggot St. Hospital, the Rotunda Hospital and the Central Remedial Clinic. Interest from the fields of education and research was reflected in participation by the CDVEC, UCD’s Schools of Child /Public Health, Nursing, Social Justice, and by Trinity’s School of Midwifery and Healthy Schools Evaluation as well as the Children’s Research Centre.
Prevention and early intervention practice was represented by practitioners from the Childhood Development Initiative Tallaght and Preparing for Life Darndale. Policy makers, advocates and funders were also present - Atlantic Philanthropies, the Katherine Howard Foundation, the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the Early Years Education Policy Unit, the Centre for Effective Services, Pobal, Dublin City Council, the HSE Local Health Office, the Office of the Government Chief Whip, Pat Carey, and local councillors Andrew Montague and Paul McAuliffe.
The key theme running through the half-day event was - Breakthrough learning and practice on infant mental health:   How bonding and parental interaction in the earliest weeks months and years shape a child’s brain development and life chances.
The Conference profiled the vital importance of the first years in the child’s life journey and shared groundbreaking international expertise on:
• infant brain development
• the developmental process in the first months and years
• attachment and bonding
• infant wellbeing and mental health
•  key learning from proven models of practice
The Conference celebrated  the opening in November 2009 of Ready, Steady, Grow – youngballymun’s service to 0-3 year-olds and their parents which is delivered in partnership with the HSE public health nurse team and primary care team and the Ballymun Home Support Service. The service is located in Ballymun East Child and Youth Centre, the former Youthreach premises. The service incorporates pre-birth support, Professor Cerezo`s Parent Child Psychological Support Programme and an Infant Mental Health training and practice  model in partnership with the HSE and with the Michigan Association of Infant Mental Health.

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