Budget fears at childcare service for ex-addicts

THE DIRECTOR of a pioneering childcare service that works with the children of current and recovering drug users has voiced her concern that its funding may be cut in next week's budget.

The Realt Beag centre in Ballyfermot, west Dublin, has been operating since February and will be formally opened by President Mary McAleese tomorrow.

Sunniva Finlay, director of Ballyfermot Star, an education and rehabilitation service for drug users and their families which runs Realt Beag, said future funding was not certain.

Though grateful for the "high level of funding" from the Office of the Minister for Children and European structural funds, she said "nothing long-term" was certain until next week's budget. "We're hearing core funding could be cut. That could mean cutbacks, maybe redundancies."

Realt Beag's main clients are parents with a drug-using history. "About 20 per cent of the children are not in that group as we want to keep a mix. We have a long waiting list of parents who have no drug history at all. But we want to keep our target which is to provide a service that helps break the cycle of drug-abuse and problems," says Ms Finlay,

There is capacity for 28 children but slow steps are being taken. There are currently 15 - four babies, six toddlers and five pre-school children.

Visitors are struck by the space and bright natural light. Walls, floors and furniture are designed for children, featuring primary colours and smiling cartoon faces.

There is a darkened sensory room with a floor-to-ceiling tube of bubbles, nature pictures, a cascade of colour-changing fibre-optics called "the waterfall" and textured cushions and bean-bags. "Some of the children have bad concentration, can be aggressive, their language can be bad. This really seems to calm and focus them on something new," says manager Geraldine O'Driscoll. Six of the 11 staff have special-needs training and the ratio is about two children per carer.

Among the babies is Jason Vallance's daughter, Lexie (10 months). Jason (34), a recovering heroin addict, has been clean for two years and is in his second year with the Realt Nua programme, run by Ballyfermot Star.

"I was an addict for 13 years - a lot of wasted time, until two years ago. Since then I have done my Leaving Cert and I'd like to do some kind of metal work."

He said Realt Beag is "structured and it's bright and there's space for her to be a child here. In our bedsit there's no space. I find since she's been here she's more noisy verbally, more attentive, she seems more content in herself.

"It's made things easier for my girlfriend because she gets some time to herself and it means I can do work in the evenings."

The service costs Realt Beag over €200 per child per week, but it charges €75 per week.