The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) has launched a five-year strategy which aims to use communications and information technology to reach out to children in need of support.
The €40 million programme envisages the development of web-based and telephone counselling schemes, as well as its existing Childline services, to help ensure vulnerable children receive appropriate help.
The strategy follows widespread consultation with thousands of children, parents and volunteers over how services need to develop into the future.
It says it has identified a number of key challenges in society that are impacting on childhood. These include grow- ing social isolation - which resulted in rising suicide rates, the use of drugs and alcohol and early sexualisation - the changing structure of families and the changing population.
In response, the charity has set itself five targets: to improve social inclusion of children, to support children, protect them from cruelty, to ensure youngsters are given the opportunity to participate in society as equals, and to ensure children's rights as citizens are acknowledged.
ISPCC chief executive Paul Gilligan said a key focus would be developing children's ability to deal with adverse events and crises.
In order to deliver the services, training to staff and volunteers and campaign work, it estimates it will need €40 million over the next five years, most of which will come from public donations and corporate sponsorship.
The Childline telephone counselling will expand through text-message and web-based services, while its "leanbh" programme, which has focused on child begging, will expand to provide support vulnerable children from ethnic minorities.
A service aimed at 13- to 18-year- olds, which provides telephone counselling and mentoring services, will expand to a web-based counselling initiative.This has focused on children at risk of abusing drugs and alcohol. However, it will also target children engaged in anti-social behaviour and young people with mental health problems.
The society also plans to focus its advocacy work on lobbying for legislative changes so children have a real chance to function as citizens, Mr Gilligan said.
