The Naas Child and Family Project  team continued to provide a service to parents, children and  young people throughout 2020. However we had to rethink how to support families and remain safe throughout this period.Yes we went on line delivering therapeutic support and weekly sessions to parents and children and we continued to meet a small number of families face to face. 

On reflection and looking back, what a strange time it was for all of us?. The term “We are in it together”  certainly rang true for the NCFP team and the families we were supporting in 2020. A strange set of circumstances, mainly a pandemic, had brought families and professionals together in a unique way. 

Families who were already experiencing stress and difficulties in their lives were now even more impacted upon by Covid 19. Professionals ( NCFP team) who normally support them were also going through a period of challenge,transition and adaptation to their new work environment. We were working from home, struggling with childcare and technology and trying to keep well while minding and taking care of our own stress levels and anxiety. We felt a real connection with the families under our care and experienced some lovely moments where we could reach out and chat about shared experiences.

Real connections and real people is what NCFP is all about. Building a connection with the child or parent we support is essential in this work and so we have a lot to celebrate about 2020 and the families we supported during many lockdowns and periods of uncertainty. We celebrate their resilience in the face of a lot of adversity and their capacity to reach out and  bring moments of joy into our lives. We laughed with them, we listened to them and we felt some of their pain when they described and shared their fears and anxiety with us. We comforted them in times of need.

We are aware that recent times have been tough and challenging for parents and children. 

For some families, the reopening of society and community has helped to bring about a sense of hope and they have experienced a reduction in their anxiety and stress and a return to some form of normal family life. Time is a good healer for many. However for others the pandemic has caused major disruption to their well being. Parents are concerned about their own levels of anxiety and how this may impact on their child’s ability to cope. Parents have shared that they are physically and mentally exhausted. Children are finding it difficult to transition back to school, being with friends and separating from parents. Some children find it challenging to play and be outdoors again. The team in NCFP are here for you and your family and look forward to hearing from you and to connecting with you. We want to help you to start to reconnect with yourself, with family and with community so that family life can be more meaningful for all.

If you are experiencing any of the above please get in contact with NCFP at 045 898623 for support and advice.