Applications are now open for the new Department of Children and Youth Affairs’ Network Support Fund
The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone, TD is pleased to announce the launch of a “Network Support Fund”, a Quality and Capacity Building Initiative (QCBI)measure supported through Dormant Accounts Funding.
The QCBI is an initiative designed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to ensure those working with children, young people and their families build on the existing body of evidence demonstrating the impact of prevention and early intervention approaches, models and practices on outcomes for children. This new funding measure under the QCBI will support statutory, community, and voluntary organisations leading or co-ordinating networks, learning communities or fora promoting evidence informed approaches to prevention and early intervention services so that those working with and for children, young people and their families are supported in doing the right things, in the right way and at the right time. It will facilitate formal and informal knowledge sharing explicitly focussed on enhancing practice and professional dialogue and curiosity around evidence informed prevention and early intervention. Applications are encouraged from networks made up of specific disciplines, such as teachers, Public Health Nurses, Social Care workers, as well as multidisciplinary networks.
The Minister says:
I am delighted to announce funds for Organisations working with and for children and young people, to further support them in accessing essential training, workshops, networking and sharing events. I am confident all those successful in their application will use the learning they’ll achieve towards making a positive difference to the lives of children and young people living in Ireland.
The 2018/2019 QCBI Network Support Fund is open for applications from 5 November 2018 until 5 November 2019. It will be open to applications on a rolling basis, meaning that interested organisations and networks can apply at any time until the end of November 2019 to secure funding to a maximum of €20,000 per year for activities such as peer to peer networking and knowledge sharing events, knowledge sharing tools or resource development, training workshops and seminars.
Further details on the application process are available on the DCYA website: Click here
Note:
Grant allocations will be awarded on an annual basis, minimum of €1,000 and maximum of €20,000 per year per applicant. Amount of funding sought for 2018 cannot exceed €2,000. On-going funding will not be available.
The closing date for applications may be revised, subject to funding availability.
All funding must be expended by 31 December of the year funding is awarded. Funding that has not been fully spent by this date must be de-committed i.e. returned to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.
The Quality and Capacity Building Initiative (QCBI), funded under Dormant Accounts, aims to take a coordinated approach to enhance capacity, knowledge and quality in prevention and early intervention for children, young people and their families, with a focus on those at risk of developing poor outcomes. At the core of the initiative is a desire to foster persistent curiosity amongst those working to improve the lives of children and young people in Ireland.
Four key strands have been identified to embed and enhance prevention and early intervention in children and young people’s policy, service provision and practice and these four strands under the QCBI are as follows:
1. Data working strand: The aim of this strand to improve access and use of data and information relating to children, young people and their families by aligning and developing what currently exists in this area.
2. Evidence working strand: The aim of this strand is to harness the learning from prevention and early intervention initiatives and research and actively support the use of this learning as a source and resource to inform planning, delivery, evaluation and continuous improvements.
3. Professional development and capacity building working strand: The aim of this strand is to enhance the capacity and skills development of policymakers, providers and practitioners in the appraisal and application of evidence informed approaches in prevention and early intervention for children and young people through capacity building and development.
4. Quality working strand: The aim of this strand is to align, enhance and sustain quality in prevention and early intervention as it relates to the development and delivery of policy, provision and practice for children and young people.