Letter: Marking 25 years of our work at Action for Children

Action for Children yesterday marked 25 years of supporting children, young people and families in Northern Ireland.

Every year, our frontline staff help more than 15,000 people across the province. Our vision is that every child and young person will have a safe and happy childhood with the foundations they need to thrive.

Our success lies in stepping in early. We make help available so young people and families don’t reach crisis point. We deliver a range of services in communities across Northern Ireland including:

Support for families: Our Family Support Hubs, Early Intervention Services, Young Carers team and Sure Starts support families when they need a little bit of extra help.

Tackling homelessness: In Omagh and Fermanagh, our Floating Support Service helps young adults aged 16-24 to find a home and develop key life skills. Rossorry Grove, our Supported Accommodation Service, provides 24/7 assistance to vulnerable young people.

Fostering: Our fostering service finds safe and loving homes for young people who have had a difficult start in life, matching them with families who can help them thrive.

To celebrate our 25th anniversary we will be holding tea parties in our services across Northern Ireland. But, as we celebrate, we also recognise the difficulties many children, young people and their families are currently facing.

One in four children in Northern Ireland are currently growing up in poverty. Homelessness among young people is on the rise. We have record numbers of children in care – now more than 4,000. This is unacceptable.

As we look forward, Action for Children will continue to raise key issues with decision makers, campaigning for policy change to ensure that all families have the supports in place that they need to thrive, not just survive.

For more information on our work in Northern Ireland, visit actionforchildren.org.uk/northernireland, get in touch with us on 028 9046 0500 or check out our Facebook, Instagram and X social media pages.

Lorna Ballard, Director of Action for Children in Northern Ireland