Dublin, 18th of June, 2025 – Depaul, a leading cross-border charity supporting those experiencing homelessness, is delighted to announce that it has been chosen as one of the recipients of the RTÉ’s Toy Show Appeal.

This award will fund the role of a Child Support Worker in Depaul’s family accommodation services in Dublin and help to change the lives of children experiencing homelessness. As of April, 4,675 children in Ireland are accessing emergency accommodation with no place to call home.

Commenting on the funding, David Carroll, CEO of Depaul said: “We are so grateful for this support – the heartbreaking reality is thousands of children in Ireland are living with the trauma of homelessness and the issue has never been more
pronounced with 4,675 children accessing emergency accommodation in Ireland today.” 

“Day in and day out we are seeing the impact that emergency accommodation is having on children, in particular – uprooted from friends, living in temporary accommodation, and going to bed at night not knowing when they will have a home they can call their own. Funding like this allows us to provide them with a little more dedicated child-centred support to ease the burden that comes with experiencing homelessness – to give them some hope.”

Depaul’s Child Support Worker has a transformative impact on the children in its services, allowing staff to not only meet each child’s essential support needs but also to find opportunities for fun and play that support a child’s physical, emotional and social development. Through dedicated, child-centred support, the Child Support Worker plays a crucial role in helping children heal from past trauma, find much- needed structure and routine, and achieve the best possible outcomes for their future.

For media queries contact: Colette Campbell – Depaul Ireland – Colette.campbell@depaulcharity.net