CDYS launch child/parent communication projects in Mallow

THE Cloyne Diocesan Youth Service (CDYS) has unveiled details of a pair of initiatives aimed at strengthening the relationships between children and parents through potentially traumatic familial transitions.

The ‘Keeping Kids in Mind’ co-parenting programme has been designed to support separated parents and wish to gain the skills that will allow them to help their children though the transition of parental separation.

The programme consists of six, two-hour sessions exploring issues including: the challenges and emotional impact of parental separation, children’s needs, developing co-parenting strategies and health communication between parents.

The sessions are tailored to suit the varying schedules of parents, with sessions each Thursday between 10am and noon and again from 7pm to 9pm in the CDYS ‘Big Blue Cube’ at Gouldshill, Mallow.

The cost of the programme, which is being subsidised by Mallow District Court and will commence on September 29, will be €50.

Over the past year the CDYS has been busy setting up another project that hopes to address the needs of children and young people who, for whatever reason, require supervised access to maintain and positive, safe and health relationship with their parents.

Aptly entitled ‘ The Quality Time Project’, it will provide a child centric services supporting their emotional well-being and sense of identity.

It will offer supervised access space for children and parents to meet and communicate under the supervision of trained staff.

Child therapist and project co-ordinator Maria Sloane said the initiative will support the transition of relationships through initial assessments meetings, supervised visitations, a review meeting and an end report.

“A positive parent/child relationship is a life-long process. The key to that relationship is the quality of time, rather than the quantity of time, spent together,” said Ms Sloane.

“The aim is to achieve this goal through therapeutic parent/child mentoring for clients to promote and strengthen family relationships through facilitating professional, monitored and supervises access and appropriate contact space,” she added.

The service will be available Monday to Friday, in the ‘Big Blue Cube’, at an hourly rate of €45.

Referrals to the service can be selfmade and/or from solicitors, mediators, the courts service, mental health professionals or appropriate agencies.

More information on both of the above initiatives contact Maria Sloane on 087 323 9775.