About Barnardo's Cymru
Barnardo’s Cymru has been working in Wales for more than a century. Our purpose is to reach out to the most disadvantaged children, young people, families and communities to help ensure that every child has the best possible start in life. We aim to make sure that every young person is able to reach their full potential, whatever their life circumstances.
Barnardo’s works with children, young people and families living on the margins of society and struggling to overcome the disadvantages caused by poverty, abuse and discrimination.
Today we run more than 40 services across Wales including:
- Family and activity centres support mothers and fathers in their roles as parents and provide safe play and activities for children
- Young carers’ projects support children and young people who take on adult responsibilities within the home because a family member is seriously ill or disabled; or suffering mental health problems or misusing drugs or alcohol
- A Wales wide adoption and fostering service finds new foster and adoptive homes for hard-to-place children; groups of brothers and sisters who need to be kept together; disabled children, children from black and minority ethnic communities and children with significant behavioural problems
- Family link services which provide short break support and leisure opportunities for disabled children and young people
- Leaving care and youth homelessness services offer support to vulnerable young care leavers and young homeless people aged 16 years, including help with finding accommodation, developing life skills, advice on health issues and help with education, employment and training
- Taith service is a partnership with seven local authorities, South Wales Police Force and Hillside Secure Unit, which works with children and young people with sexually problematic behaviour
- Seraf service is a new Wales wide project helping children and young people who are being, or who are at risk of being, sexually exploited. The project currently has bases in Newport, Swansea and Wrexham
- Caterpillar service supports young people who have mental health concerns. The project has worked with young people who self-harm, have eating disorders, and who suffer from mental and emotional distress
As well as providing direct support through its services, Barnardo’s Cymru also seeks to influence policy makers to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and young people. We successfully campaigned for services in Wales to support children who are sexually exploited.
This year, 2008, we will be concentrating our campaign and influencing work on improving child and adolescent mental health services in Wales.
Barnardo’s believes that it is never too early or too late to offer help to a child or young person in need, and we do not give up.
Children have only one chance of a childhood, and Barnardo’s Cymru wants to make sure they can make the most of it, so they are able to build a better future.
