Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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336. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of ABC programme places that were offered in areas (details supplied) from 26 April 2021 to 26 April 2022; the uptake in each area; the year that these locations were selected; his plans to expand the programme to other locations; his plans to transition the programme to an online version; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22231/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Tulsa’s National Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme is an area-based Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) initiative which is delivered in 12 areas of significant socioeconomic disadvantage across the country through the Prevention Partnership and Family Support Services within Tusla (see locations of ABC programmes below).

The ABC Programme was funded jointly by Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs between 2013 and 2018. Since 2018, Tusla has funded the Area Based Childhood Programme. It operates as part of the wider Tusla Prevention, Partnership and Family Support Programme (PPFS).

Through Prevention and Early Intervention approaches, the Area Based Childhood Programme aims to work in partnership with families, practitioners, communities and national stakeholders to deliver better outcomes for children and families living in areas where poverty is most deeply entrenched.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) is currently funding Tusla to scale proven models from the ABC programme under the What Works initiative. Work is underway identifying the locations for these in areas of deprivation across Ireland.

Over the last two years, the onset of Covid has impacted ABC services. All areas had to adapt their service delivery model to ensure continuity of support to the children and families they work with. Elements of the ABC programme, such as parenting programmes were delivered online and home visits, where possible did take place in outdoor settings ensuring Public Health Guidelines were adhered to. As society has opened the majority of the ABC work has returned to in-person delivery, but some programmes may maintain a hybrid model of delivery, where this is deemed to best meet the needs of parents and families.

In the six months from Jan to June 2021, the ABC programmes engaged 13,681 parents and 21,804 children in various interventions and 4,102 professionals in training and capacity building work.  Tusla has advised that currently the level of data requested in respect of April 2021 to April 2022 is not yet available.

ABC Locations