A much-heralded sanctuary for separated parents to meet their children in a safe environment with access to support staff is to close without any replacement. Its demise will leave some dads in the city without any chance of regularly seeing their kids.
The first of its kind to open in Ireland in 2007, Time4Us gave mainly dads the chance for quality time with their offspring for a few hours a week rather than fighting to be heard in a busy McDonalds or sheltering from the rain in a playground during their access visits.
The centre in Shantalla focuses on play to improve interaction between the children and their non-resident parent, with families often referred to the service through the courts or social workers as a result of difficulties in sorting out access.
Some 40 families use the service, operated by a full-time manager and three part-time staff. It was funded by Tusla, the Maureen O’Connell Fund in St Vincent De Paul, the Galway City and County Childcare Committee as well as from donations from the business sector.
In a letter to parents, chairperson of Time4Us Mary Giblin said the service would close from March 31 following two years in which the board had faced significant challenges “in terms of board membership and sustainable government”.
“In the past the service was co-funded by a number of agencies from the statutory, voluntary and business sectors, but this is no longer the case,” she told parents.
“A loss of board members with relevant expertise, the out-of-hours nature of the service with a funding shortfall have all led to a situation where we have exhausted every avenue to avoid a closure f this service.”
One parent told the Galway City Tribune the loss of the service will mean some fathers will no longer see their children.
“There will be no venue in Galway for courts to refer parents for safe supported access. This service provides a safe environment for separated parents to spend time with their children, which for some would not happen due to addiction, domestic violence or contentious separations.”
Deputy Catherine Connolly said if the closure goes ahead it will mean that children will have no safe place to meet their parent.
“The parents have been advised to look at alternative arrangements, but there are simply no other facilities of this nature in Galway, which is the very reason Time4Us was set up in the first place.
The centre was hailed as a model for the rest of the country by the children’s charity Barnardos.
Operating six days a week, and until 8pm on four of those days, staff offered support to parents who needed it to help rebuild fractured relationships.
■ For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.
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