Action for Children protects and supports vulnerable children and young people by providing practical and emotional help and support, making their voices heard and campaigning to improve their lives in the long term. With 476 community services across the UK, the charity helps over 387,000 children, teens, parents and carers a year.
Mom Caitrin Kincaid, who lives in Ballymena, received support from Action for Children at what she calls a vital time when she had just given birth to her first child and struggled with being in a new neighborhood with very little support. . Caitrin said: “I moved from Derry to Ballymena, where my husband Denver is from, but to be honest, I felt very isolated.
“I struggled a bit with breastfeeding my son Cooper, and just when I could do away with my family’s support, they seemed very far away. I was connected with the local service of a sure start. This service is provided by Action for Children in Ballymena and Antrim on behalf of the Department of Education and in partnership with the Child Care Partnership and the Northern Health and Welfare Foundation. It integrates health, family support, and early education services that are designed to support children’s learning skills, health and well-being, and social and emotional development.
Caitrin said: “Once I saw everything that Cooper and I could do, I got involved in everything. The social aspect was God’s gift, but I also learned a lot as a mom because I didn’t feel like I knew how to play with my child.”
The Strong Start groups allowed Caitrin to get out of the house and maintain her own mental health, as well as learning how to play with her sons - her second son, Carter, was born a year after his brother. She said: “I discovered a whole new way of interacting with them. I was completely fascinated by how children can learn and become emotionally involved in play. But then Covid came along and we all know what drama it was.”
Caitrin wondered how she would deal with the blockages as she was away from her family, but she explained how Action for Kids continues to be supportive despite the situation and always finds a way to make it work for each person: “Girls from “Actions for Kids” The kids didn’t fail - the lessons just went online, and they brought them to life without leaving home.
“Being a mom is the most important thing in my world, but sometimes when you have kids you feel like you lose a part of yourself. Thanks to Action for Children, I just feel like I can now be the best mom for my sons – and for myself.”
Bathshack, which has a base in Ballymena, just announced that they will be partnering with Action for Children to support their vital work across New York State. Lorna Ballard, NI’s National Director of Children’s Affairs, said: “This support comes at a critical time when families across Northern Ireland are facing significant increases in the cost of fuel, food and more.”