The Government has announced that the Early Learning Initiative in the Dublin Docklands has been awarded 1.2 million in funding to develop programmes to help break cycles of child poverty in the area.

This funding is part of the Area Based Childhood (ABC) programme that was announced as part of Budget 2013 and follows a commitment in the Programme for Government to adopt an area-based approach to child poverty. The programme, co-funded by Atlantic Philanthropies, has a total funding allocation of €30 million that will support projects that draw on best international practice and existing services to improve outcomes for children in areas of disadvantage.

The Early Learning Initiative focuses on addressing the problems of educational underachievement in marginalised communities. Investment in evidence-based early intervention is key to improving long-term outcomes for children in these areas. To read more about the ELI, see here. 

For more information on the ABC programme itself, click here.