Area Based Childhood Programme (ABC)

What the ABC Programme is about?

Mission:

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.

What do ABC programmes do?

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 ABC Programme works from a strengths-based approach, harnessing the talents, abilities and capabilities of the family and community. This is done using prevention and early intervention approaches (PEI).

Prevention (identifying potential issues or vulnerabilities before they happen and putting supports in place to prevent them) and Early Intervention (intervening early to prevent difficulties escalating, helping children become more resilient and realise their full potential) are essential to breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty and disadvantage.

We work with families from antenatal to school-going and beyond.

ABC sites operate at three levels of change:

Frontline delivery of PEI services for children and families which support early child development
Capacity building, facilitation, and support to other service providers to implement evidence-based ways of working
Systems change efforts with managers and decision makers at local, regional and national level.

The services listed on this page are for Practitioners only. Please visit the parent page for parents’ services.

ABC Supporting Documents
	Frameworks for Foundation Level Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Professional Development
	ABC IMH Position Paper 2022
	Oral Language Services within the ABC Programme
	ABC Infant Mental Health Framework 2022

Regional Area & ABC Sites	Lead Agent	Practitioner Programmes	Link to ABC Websites
Dublin Mid Leinster
Ballyfermot - Family Matters	Ballyfermot / Chapelizod Partnership	Infant Mental Health Network Up to 2 Programme Circle of Security Early Years Support Oral Language SlT & Language Supports Family Development Programme Life-skills Programme YMH Supports/Advocacy Mental Health Training	website
Clondalkin - Blue Skies	Archways	Ante-Natal Programme Infant Mental Health EY Transitions Programme Restorative Practice Programme ACES Awareness Incredible Years Dina	website
Childhood Development Initiative - (CDI) Tallaght		Doodle Den Doodle Families Chit Chat Speech & Language Summer Course(teachers) Restorative Practice Infant Mental Health Network Parental Engagement & Relationships(PEAR-Training) Quality Services, Better Outcomes Training	website
Docklands & East inner City - Early Learning Initiative (ELI)	NCI	Early Numeracy programme Zoom ahead with books ParentChild+ Home Visiting – Mentoring other sites Doodle Den Restorative Practice	website
Wicklow Bray - Supporting Parents & Early Childhood Services (SPECS)	Bray Area Partnership	Infant Mental Health Circle of Security Roots of Empathy Early Years Supports-Transitions/Behaviour management/ trauma informed practice	website

Dublin North East
Ballymun - Youngballymun		Infant Mental Health (IMH) courses for practitioners including IMH Masterclass and workshops IMH Network & support to Co-ordinators COS Practitioner Peer Support Capacity Building with Practitioners-Reflective supervision. Early Years Support (coaching & Reflective supervision) Oral Language Forum Supporting capacity of practitioners in delivering the incredible Years Programmes	website
Louth - The Genesis Programme	Louth Leader Partnership	Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Programme Training Incredible Years Classroom Dina Training Incredible Years Small Group Dina Training Incredible Beginnings Training KiVa Anti Bullying Programme Hanen Language Programme Flying Start Transitions Programme First 3 Years Initiative – Training in Baby Massage, Baby Yoga, Incredible Years Parent and Baby Programme ParentChild+ Home Visiting Restorative Practice Strengthening Families Programme	website
Docklands & Dublin East inner City - Early Learning Initiative (ELI)	NCI	Early Numeracy programme Zoom ahead with books ParentChild+ Home Visiting – Mentoring other sites Doodle Den Restorative Practice	website
Finglas - Better Finglas	Barnardos	IMH Network Trauma Informed Learning Network Nurture Schools Wizard of Words Hanen Aisteoir/Siolta High Scope Mindfulness for EY Practitioners	website
Grangegorman - Grangegorman ABC	DIT	Incredible Years Parent and School Referral Pathways Up-skilling Early years Family Support Infant & Child Mental Health	website
Darndale - Preparing For Life (PFL)	North Side Partnership	Early Years – Strengthening Foundations of Learning: Coaching, Mentoring and CPD for Early Years Educators Infant Mental Health Network – Training, support and CPD for practitioners Inter-agency Collaboration	website

South
Cork - Let’s Grow Together	Infant & Childhood Partnerships CLG	IMH training for Early Years Practitioners IMH Masterclass IMH Network Groups Incredible Years Classroom Dina programme Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management Learning Language and Loving It™ The Hanen Program® for Early Childhood Educators ABC and Beyond™ The Hanen Program® for Building Emergent Literacy in Early Childhood Settings KidScope Paediatric Clinic Undergraduate training and education for Speech and Language Therapy Students in partnership with UCC HighScope Implementation Course Mentoring for Early Years and Early Start settings.	email website

West
Limerick - Start Right	Paul Partnership	An introduction to understanding Infant Mental Health (Workshop) The Baby Room Project Children`s Social and Emotional Development Supporting Challenging Behaviour Marte Meo: Supportive Interactions Supporting Play Sessions (Preschool, toddler and baby) Sensory Play Trauma in the Early Years Introduction to the Aistear / Siolta Practice Guide Key Person Approach Reflective Practice for Early Years Babbling Babies (in service or in community) Wobbler Words Toddler Talk Communication and the growing Brain Teacher Talk/ Learning Language and Loving it Hanen programme Bringing stories to life 4 rooms BWTP/s library parent and toddler sessions Rhyme time fun Community practitioners Story time fun Community practitioners Early Talkboost (EYPs and teachers) Talkboost Key Stage 1 (teachers) Word Aware Information sessions (teachers) Loving language (teachers LECETB) Family reading (teachers LCETB)	website

Area Based Childhood Programme (ABC)

What the ABC Programme is about?

Mission:

What do ABC programmes do?

ABC Supporting Documents

Regional Area & ABC Sites

Lead Agent

Practitioner Programmes

Link to ABC Websites

Dublin Mid Leinster

Ballyfermot - Family Matters

Clondalkin - Blue Skies

Childhood Development Initiative - (CDI) Tallaght

Docklands & East inner City - Early Learning Initiative (ELI)

Wicklow Bray - Supporting Parents & Early Childhood Services (SPECS)

Dublin North East

Ballymun - Youngballymun

Louth - The Genesis Programme

Docklands & Dublin East inner City - Early Learning Initiative (ELI)

Finglas - Better Finglas

Grangegorman - Grangegorman ABC

Darndale - Preparing For Life (PFL)

South

Cork - Let’s Grow Together

West

Limerick - Start Right