SPECS (Supporting Parents and Early Childcare Services) was launched on Monday 30th November 2015 by Simon Harris TD, Minister of State and Dr. Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children. SPECS is a new prevention and early intervention service for families in the Greater Bray Area.
SPECS works with parents, early years services, schools and other agencies to improve outcomes for children from pregnancy through to school age. SPECS takes a collaborative, interagency approach to support the implementation of a number of programmes, including:
- Preparing for Life - Mentors visit families in their homes and give information on child development and parenting, with the aim of improving school readiness.
- Parents Plus - A practical and positive parenting programme which helps parents promote confidence, learning and good behaviour in young children aged 1 to 6 years.
- Strengthening Families Programme - The Programme helps parents and their children to communicate and get on together better and enhances children’s life skills.
- Roots of Empathy - An in-school programme which promotes social and emotional literacy.
- Supporting Quality Early Childhood Education - Providing assistance to Early Years services to ensure the highest standards and practices are in place.
Speaking at the launch, Minister Harris TD said, “I am delighted to launch this vital initiative for families in the Bray area. With funding from the Government’s Area Based Childhood (ABC) programme, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and The Atlantic Philanthropies, SPECS is able to support the implementation of a range of evidence-based programmes that will improve behavioural, social and emotional outcomes for local children.”
SPECS is part of the Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme, a cross-departmental initiative which targets investment in evidence-informed interventions to improve the long-term outcomes for children and families living in areas of disadvantage. There are thirteen Areas delivering the ABC Programme across Ireland and many of the Areas are connecting with their local CYPSC in order to enhance opportunities for interagency collaboration and to work together towards the embedding of approaches in mainstream services.
SPECS is supported by a Consortium of over twenty community-based and statutory agencies with the Bray Area Partnership as the lead agency. Representatives from Bray Area Partnership sit on Wicklow Children and Young People's Services Committee and one of the priorities identified by Wicklow CYPSC is to support the SPECS ABC Programme in Bray.
Click here to learn more about links between the ABC Programme and CYPSC.
Click here to read more about Wicklow CYPSC.
Click here to visit the SPECS Website and learn more about their programmes.