A number of branches of the voluntary organisation Home-Start, with schemes in both the North and the south of the country, visited ┴ras an Uachtarβin yesterday for a meeting with the President, Mrs McAleese.
The Home-Start Family Support Schemes offer support, friendship and practical help to young families in their own homes where there is at least one child under the age of five.
This is the first time all the schemes have come together and several of the representatives were visiting the Republic for the first time.
The President praised the work of the organisation, as a mother who once had three children under the age of three. "It's the small things that can get people through and you are the difference between just existing and having a life," she said.
The schemes visiting from the North offer support to families across communities and there is ongoing development work between Home-Start Northern Ireland and Home-Start Ireland to support young isolated families living in border counties.
On family life today, Ms Anna Lynch, national co-ordinator said: "The extended family is not there anymore. Granny used to help with the children, now Granny's working and young mothers are on their own. We're also dealing with ethnic minorities, single parents trying to bring up two or three children on their own."
The Republic's branches were represented by Home-Start Ireland development office and branches in Blanchardstown, Cork and Tullamore.
Twenty schemes from the North, ranging from the Antrim district to west Tyrone, attended.
