Strand:4 Social Protection & Integration
Section 1: – Social Infrastructure Case Study
The Carrigtwohill Family Resource Centre (CFRC) is a community organization, partially funded by the government, dedicated to supporting marginalised groups and tackling poverty through social justice efforts. Established in 1991, CFRC provides vital services to families dealing with a range of challenges including financial difficulties, addiction, literacy issues, elder abuse, child protection concerns, parenting struggles, truancy, domestic and gender-based violence. Serving over 600 individuals annually, including a minority immigrant cohort, CFRC highlights the absence of adequate family support within its community. This represents over 10% of a total population of 5,568 (Census 2022). Of these, 1,400 were born outside Ireland, a figure which is well above the national average. However, over 90% of our service users are native-born Irish, pointing to a societal failure to care for the most vulnerable in our community, no matter where they come from.
The organization faces resource limitations amidst increasing demand, exacerbated by a present and future population surge referred to above, necessitating improved infrastructure and financial support to effectively meet community needs.
Advocating for a specialised Mental Health and Family Support Hub, CFRC strives to address these pressing challenges and meet the evolving needs of our community. Despite financial constraints and spatial limitations, CFRC remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting vulnerable families, but as the saying goes “it takes a village…”