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Monday 8am - 6pm Tuesday 8am - 6pm Wednesday 8am - 6pm Thursday 8am - 6pm Friday 8am - 6pm

Childhood Development Initiative

Every child in Ireland deserves to be thriving, healthy, happy and free from poverty, and CDI is dedicated to making this happen.

https://linktr.ee/childhooddevelopmentinitiative
CRA - 20065577 CDI is one of three sites which constitute the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme (PEIP) in Ireland, and is jointly funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) and The Atlantic Philanthropies (AP). The three sites, (CDI, Youngballymun and Preparing for Life) were set up with “the objective of testing innovat

ive ways of delivering services and early interventions for children and young people, including the wider family and community settings.” (DCYA, 2011)

CDI is based in Tallaght West and is the result of the professionalism, passion and persistence of a group of 23 concerned individuals and organisations in the community, who had a vision of a better place for children. Through innovative partnerships, they brought together the science of evidenced-based practice and rigorous evaluation, with the spirit of an approach focused on the identified needs of children and families. A partnership was agreed between Government and The Atlantic Philanthropies and the consortium’s first piece of work was a needs analysis entitled “How Are Our Kids?” (HAOK, 2004). A number of priorities were agreed based on this research, one of which was the set up and incorporation of CDI in 2007. Following this a number of programmes were designed and delivered between 2007-2011. Our programmes for Tallaght West are the Early Years Programme; Doodle Den - Literacy Programme for Senior Infant Children; Mate-Tricks - Pro-Social Behaviour Programme for 4th Class Children; Healthy Schools Programme - A Whole School Approach; Early Intervention Speech and Language Therapy; Community Safety Initiative; Safe and Healthy Place Initiative; Restorative Practice; and the Quality Enhancement Programme. All CDI programmes are evidence-informed and manualised, and are delivered through existing structures and services. CDI has a core role in promoting quality, fidelity, value for money and added value. All elements of our work are rigorously and independently evaluated and we are committed to sharing the learning and experiences from Tallaght West, in order to inform and shape future policy, practice, training and curriculum development.

21/07/2026

The CDI team was at the Shelton Abbey Open Day, highlighting our Family Matters programme.

Family Matters supports men in prison and their families as they prepare for life after release, providing facilitated family meetings that create a safe space to discuss hopes, concerns, and expectations for the future. By strengthening family relationships, the programme helps support successful reintegration and better outcomes for everyone involved.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat with us!

Photos from Childhood Development Initiative's post

21/07/2026

Learning, sharing and strengthening restorative approaches

Our Restorative Practices Programme Coordinator, George Best, recently attended European Forum for Restorative Justice Criminal Justice Platform Europe’s Summer Course, ‘She Matters: Gender-Specific Approaches to Women in the Criminal Justice System’, in Barcelona.

Over the four-day course, George took part in a study visit to a women’s prison, gaining valuable insight into the prison environment and the range of rehabilitative programmes that support women throughout their journey within the criminal justice system.

The programme also featured a series of thought-provoking workshops, including ‘Treating Women in Detention’ and ‘Restorative Justice: Towards More Gender-Responsive Approaches in Probation Services’. These sessions explored the importance of trauma-informed, restorative and gender-responsive approaches in supporting women and promoting more positive outcomes.

At CDI, we value opportunities to learn from international practice, share knowledge and continue developing approaches that strengthen relationships, repair harm and support communities.

20/07/2026

Our Restorative Practices Programme Manager, Claire Casey, represented CDI at the Community Services Showcase in The Square, Tallaght.

We loved meeting families and sharing information about our supports, including Support Pathways for Children with Additional Needs and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

16/07/2026

🤰Are you pregnant and living in Kiltipper or Killinarden?
Get free pregnancy and early parenting support at home.

Our friendly Home Visitors are here to support you with:
🤰🏻Taking care of yourself during pregnancy
👶🏻 Preparation for birth and labour
💤Feeding and sleep routines
👶 Practical tips & fun activities for your child’s early development
🧸 Free books, toys & learning materials to keep
🤝 A flexible, respectful, and non-judgemental approach

Who can join?
✨ Expecting parents
✨ Single parents or families where just one parent wants to take part
✨ Families who’ve taken part before and want to re-join

Limited places available, sign up now!

📞 To join or learn more: Call 01 494 0030 or email [email protected]
Preparing for Life

13/07/2026

08/07/2026

To apply visit https://ow.ly/3mua50Zltv5

For further details on our Nova Programme visit https://ow.ly/JTOX50Zltv6

t

03/07/2026

This is really HUGE news! On the eve of their wedding, we find out that Taylor Swift ❤️ Travis Kelce...have donated $2 million to support Dolly Parton's Imagination Library!

Meaning even more children around the world can discover the joy and magic of reading. We take our hats off to you, Taylor & Travis, for this donation; we are very grateful. It's inspiring to see.

We brought Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to Ireland in 2019, and we've been gifting a book every month to children from birth to age five across Dublin 24 in partnership with An Post. Their dedicated staff hand-deliver the books in personalised envelopes, much to the children's joy.

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Telephone

+35314940030

Website

http://www.cdi.ie/, https://linktr.ee/childhooddevelopmentinitiative

Address

St Mark's Family And Youth Centre, Fettercairn
Dublin
DUBLIN24

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 6pm
Tuesday	8am - 6pm
Wednesday	8am - 6pm
Thursday	8am - 6pm
Friday	8am - 6pm