Who We Are

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Barnardos is Ireland's leading independent children's charity. Barnardos invests more in national and community services in Ireland than any other children's charity and in 2008 worked with over 5,500 children and families, providing direct services, advice and support through more than 40 centres, based in some of the most over-looked communities in Ireland.

Barnardos works to improve the lives of all children in Ireland, and in particular children who face barriers in reaching their full potential, barriers like poverty, abuse, neglect or bereavement.  

What we do

Our involvement in a child's life varies, depending on each child's needs and their age. We work with some children, in some cases, as soon as they are born, right through to 15 years of age.

Every day we encounter children living brutalised lives. We work with families to improve parenting skills, tackle issues of poverty, domestic abuse, addiction and the impact these problems have on children.

The effects of disadvantage can last a lifetime. It's true that children have amazing abilities to cope, but the wrong start can affect the direction of their whole lives. It can have a permanent impact on their education and their well being. It can affect their ability to make friends, to get the most from their education and to make the progress every child should. Barnardos is committed to working with these children for as long as it takes to improve their circumstances.  We have one simple goal at our heart and it is to make Ireland the best place in the world to be a child.

The Need for Barnardos in Ireland today

In many communities educational disadvantage and child poverty are preventing thousands of children from reaching their full potential both in childhood and in their adult life.

Over 76,000 children in Ireland now live in consistent poverty, lacking basics such as adequate heating, a good pair of shoes, or one hot meal a day

19% of children leave school before completing the Leaving Certificate

1,000 children in Ireland each year fail to make the transition from primary to secondary school, dropping out of the education system before the age of 14

30% of children in disadvantaged areas suffer severe literacy problems (three times the national average)

In Barnardos we work to improve the lives of children and families living in these disadvantaged communities by providing direct services, advice and support through more than 40 centres based throughout Ireland.

We rely on companies like BabyBay.ie to help us continue the vital work we do for some of the most vulnerable children in society.

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