Community Families Programme launched
Westmeath Community Development welcomed Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, TD, to Edgeworthstown Library, to launch the Community Families Programme, previously known as Community Mothers, on Friday May 2 last.
Community Families is a home visiting programme which puts parents first, supporting them in their new relationship with their child. Parents are connected with a trained home visitor who supports them as they become confident and grow as parents. The Home visitor provides support and information from pregnancy until child is three years old.
On the day, speakers included Frank Murtagh, CEO, Westmeath Community Development, Caroline Sheehan, National Home Visiting Programme manager with TUSLA; Caroline Morgan, HSE public health nurse; Catriona Corcoran, coordinator, Community Families Longford/Westmeath; home visitors, Carol Liston, Claire Mullally,(Westmeath) Rebecca Wynne and Brid Walsh (Longford); and three service users, Rebecca Fitzgerald, Anouck Farrell and Aneta Matunova.
Minister Burke commended the team. “This is one of number of excellent and innovative programmes run by Westmeath Community Development. “We heard from some parents who are benefitting from Community Families, from the team of home visitors, and they both clearly demonstrate how important a service this is in supporting parents during the early months of their child’s life.”
Community Families Programme services Longford and Westmeath and is funded by TUSLA, the HSE and the SICAP programme; contact Catriona Corcoran, programme coordinator at ccorcoran@westcd.ie or 044 9348571.