Highest ever number of children and families turned to Barnardos for support last year

The highest ever number of children and families turned to Barnardos for support in 2017.

Last year saw over 15,3000 cases seek help from the charity, making this a record number of people aided by Barnardos over the course of one year. According to Barnardos' annual report, almost half (44 percent) of children who needed support were aged between six and 12-years-old with 35 percent being five-years-old and under. The charity provide educational services and assistance for children living with social or economic disadvantages. Barnardos has 40 centres across the country and also operate in family's homes, schools, and other community areas. Over the past 10 years, they have provided assistance to 86,585 children and families in Ireland. The charity's outgoing CEO Fergus Finlay has called on the government to tackle child poverty in next months budget. He told Morning Ireland that some of the the stories he had seen over his years of working with Barnardos were "heartbreaking." He said:

"What I have also seen however, is unwavering dedication to the children and the families we work with, and a drive to provide the best opportunities and possibilities for the children in our care."

Finlay also said that the numbers of young people experiencing child poverty has risen "by thousands" over the past few years. He urged that more investments be made in areas like early years education. Text image via Barnardos report.