PRESS NOTICE Tuesday, 9th July 2013 Annual Report to Show Marked Increase in Demand for Supports from Family Resource Centres The 2012 annual report of the Family Resource Centre National Forum will be launched at 10am tomorrow, Wednesday, 8th July, in the Shelbourne Room of the Shelbourne Hotel, 27 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2. The report will show a marked increase in the number of people accessing supports from Family Resource Centres (FRCs) over the past three years. The 106 Family Resource Centres throughout Ireland work to provide early-intervention child and family supports. The centres operate under the aegis of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. Commenting in advance of tomorrow’s launch, Claire Dineen, Chairperson of the Family Resource Centre National Forum (FRCNF) – the umbrella group for FRCs – said: “Since the onset of the recession, increasing numbers of people have been turning to their local Family Resource Centres for support. Our 2012 annual report shows the impact this has had on our services. The report also highlights the benefits of the early-intervention approach offered by FRCs. We know from our day-to-day work that this approach not only delivers better outcomes for families, it also leads to cost-savings for the State.” The FRCNF’s 2012 annual report will include statistics on the numbers of families and individuals accessing health services and information, counselling, childcare, education and training, and direct family support interventions through FRCs. It will also include case studies of innovative projects run by individual FRCs, including a drop-in childcare service, senior alert and text alert security schemes, financial and budgeting workshops, and community-based family support services. Norah Gibbons, the incoming Chairperson of the Child and Family Agency, will address tomorrow’s launch. ENDS Contact: Martina Quinn / Catherine Heaney, DHR Communications, Tel: 01-4200580 / 087-6522033 / 087-2309835 Note to Editors: About the Family Resource Centre Programme The aim of the Family Resource Centre (FRC) programme is to combat disadvantage and improve the functioning of the family unit. The programme emphasises involving local communities in tackling the problems they face, and creating successful partnerships between voluntary and statutory agencies at community level. FRCs involve people from marginalised groups and areas of disadvantage at all levels, including on their Voluntary Management Committees. Since the FRC programme began in 1994, the number of core-funded FRCs has increased from 10 to 106.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 22:16:05 +0000