On 17th June 2026, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality Norma Foley launched the 2026 What Works in Communities Fund, a €400,000 investment from the Dormant Accounts Fund to support prevention and early intervention initiatives that help children, young people and families thrive in communities across Ireland.
This funding represents a strategic investment in children, young people and families across Ireland. Prevention and early intervention approaches help address challenges before they escalate and ensure that children and families receive the right support at the right time.
The launch brought together practitioners, policymakers, community organisations and previous funding recipients to hear first-hand how prevention and early intervention programmes are making a difference in communities across the country.
Speakers at the event included Bernie Laverty, National ABC Manager at Tusla, and Maryrose Costello, Early Intervention and Family Support Manager at SPECS in the Bray & North Wicklow Area Partnership. They shared examples of how early support can change outcomes for children and families, highlighting the importance of reaching families at the right time with the right supports.
Some service users of What Works funded projects spoke about their experiences.
Kerry Travellers Health and Community Development Project
Brigid Quilligan (Project Manager), and Chantelle O Brien (Family Link Worker) spoke on behalf of the Kerry Travellers Health and Community Development Project. The vision for this work was that Parents from the Traveller community are supported to access quality early years parenting support programmes. Tusla co-designed the Pilot (funded by What Works) that created the roles of the Family Link Workers, which favoured members of the Traveller community being employed in the roles, to support parents to engage in earlier supports.
Brigid Quilligan (Project Manager), Chantelle O Brien (Family Link Worker) and Margaret Rose Quilligan (Chairperson) from the Kerry Traveller Group.
Doras Bui and Early Talkboost
Parents Ciara Glynn and Craig McCormack, alongside their son Bradley, shared their experience of support from Doras Bui and the Early Talkboost programme. They spoke about the positive impact the Early Talkboost initiative had on Bradley’s language development and overall confidence.
Doras Buí is a Parenting Alone Resource Centre based in Coolock, Dublin 17. Early Talkboost (ETB) is a nine-week early intervention programme designed for children aged three to four years who experience delayed language development.
Parents Ciara Glynn and Craig McCormack and their son Bradley with Norma Foley, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality
Parent Child Psychological Support (PCPS) programme.
Rachel O’Brien (with baby Isla Dixon) and Sinead Mullen (with baby Seren James) reflected on their experiences of the Parent Child Psychological Support (PCPS) programme. They emphasised the importance of early support for parents and the positive difference it can make to both parental wellbeing and child development.
The PCPS programme is a partnership approach between Tusla, SPECS- Bray & North Wicklow Area Partnership, Area Based Childhood (ABC) Programme, and HSE Primary Care to implement a universal and multidisciplinary-based programme.
PCPS provides individually tailored support to parents and their infants over the child’s first 18 months of life. The PCPS programme has a particular focus on supporting the socio-emotional development and infant mental health of children, placing a strong emphasis on parent–child attachment, maternal wellbeing and early identification of developmental or mental health concerns. By supporting families early, the programme aims to improve outcomes for children while reducing the need for more intensive interventions later.
Rachel O’Brien (speaking) and her baby Isla Dixon being minded by Maryrose Costello, Early Intervention and Family Support Manager at SPECS in the Bray & North Wicklow Area Partnership
Sinead Mullen with her daughter Seren James
Simon Conry, Principal Officer, Parenting Support Policy unit expressed sincere thanks to all the speakers for representing service users and sharing their personal stories. Their accounts of care, connection, and support highlight the real and meaningful impact of this funding in practice.
As she launched the Fund, Minister Foley said:
“The stories shared here today are a powerful reminder of the difference that prevention and early intervention can make in people’s lives. Behind every project is a child, a young person or a family receiving support at a time when it can have the greatest impact.
Through the What Works initiative, we are investing in communities, supporting organisations that are delivering vital services and helping to build a stronger understanding of what works for children and families. I am delighted to launch this new fund and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have in communities across Ireland.”
(L-R) Claire Murphy, SPECS PCPS Team Leader, Sinead Mullen with her daughter Seren James, Norma Foley, Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Rachel O’Brien and her baby Isla Dixon, Maryrose Costello, Early Intervention and Family Support Manager at SPECS in the Bray & North Wicklow Area Partnership
In 2026, grants of between €10,000 and €40,000 will be made available to community and voluntary organisations delivering prevention and early intervention initiatives for children, young people and families.
The fund focuses on inclusion, equality and participation and aims to support organisations to evaluate and strengthen their work, build learning and share evidence across the prevention and early intervention sector.
Applications for the fund are now open and will close at 5pm on Friday 31 July 2026.
For more information, please click here.