Family Support Services are for families and individuals who need help. Family life is not always easy. Life events like birth, death, depression, redundancy, separation, illness, abuse or financial problems all put stress and strain on family life and relationships.
Family Support Services can help. Simply having someone to talk to about your problem can be the easiest way to begin to deal with your problem. There are many support groups for adults, teenagers, children and carers that give people the chance to tell their own stories and give support to each other. Specialist services provide support for domestic violence or child abuse. Family Support services are generally provided to families in their own homes and communities. Family Support Worker Irene Carey is available at Kenmare FRC Monday, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and can be contacted on 064 6642790. Call her today if you think she can help your family in any way. Irene offers one to one confidential meetings with families, offers the delivery of Meitheals, works with other organisations & agencies such as schools & Public Health Nurses to support vulnerable families.
Parent’s Support Group
Meets monthly & supports parents that are parenting special needs children.
Empowering Parents
A 6-week program that equips parents to better advocate on behalf of their special needs children.
Parent , Baby & Toddler group
Parent, Baby & Toddler Group meet every Tuesday morning from 10am-12 noon at Kenmare Family Resource Center & Thursday mornings from 10.00am to 12noon at Kilgarvan Community Centre this group is designed for parents, baby & toddlers to attend together. Please call Kenmare Family Resource Centre to book a space.
Breastfeeding support groups
Public Health Nurse Breastfeeding Support Group - (Please note: This is run every other week please call the Family Rescource centre for dates) from 12.00 noon -1.00pm
Meitheal
Does your family need some support?
What is Meitheal?
Meitheal is a national support model led by Tusla- Child and Family Agency, which can help you and your child to get the supports you need, easily, locally and when you need it.
The old adage says it takes a village to raise a child. Tusla knows this is still true today, so it came up with a model for local services, community groups and professionals to work together with parents to give children and young people the best possible start. The model is called “Meitheal” after the old Irish term that describes how neighbours come together to help harvest crops or other tasks.
The kinds of services that might be involved in Meitheal are schools, youth services, family resource centres, medical services and others like these.
Why would my family need Meitheal?
Preventing problems from arising or getting worse is better than dealing with them later. Meitheal can help stop current challenges from getting any worse for your child.
If you feel that your child has additional needs, or is facing challenges that are difficult to overcome, and you are finding it hard to access the support necessary to help them, Meitheal may be able to help you.
Example of the challenges that Meitheal could help with are:
Problems at school;
A child feeling down;
Not getting on with your child;
Family problems;
Coping with illness or bereavement;
Difficult behaviour;
You may already be receiving support from different services but you are finding it difficult to deal with all of them at once. Meitheal can help you to get the support that is best for your child, in a coordinated manner.
How Meitheal works
The first step is for a supportive person from one of the child and family services in your local area, called a Lead Practitioner, to sit down with you and your child to identify your child’s needs and strengths. You may need one particular service or you may need a group of services to come together to provide you with the support you need to improve your family’s wellbeing.
The Lead Practitioner works with you and your child to put in place a plan and can arrange the services for you. You and your child participate in putting that plan into action, in reviewing it and deciding when you feel your child’s needs have been met.
You may also decide that Meitheal isn’t right for you and your family right now. You can always come back for help in the future.
Where do I Start?
If you already access any kind of child and family service, you can ask the person you are currently dealing with to be your Lead Practitioner and to organise a Meitheal. If you are interested in finding out more about Meitheal and you do not currently know anyone who can be your Lead Practitioner, you should contact your local Family Resource Centre.