DAF Supporting Family Carers 2024-2026 Now Accepting Applications
As part of the Dormant Accounts Fund Action Plan for 2024, the Department of Social Protection launched this measure to support Family Carers.
There are 3 Key Objectives of this programme:
All projects supported under this programme must demonstrate that they are seeking to meet at least one of the following programme objectives:
- To support Family Carers to access employment and/or employment-related training.
- To raise awareness and support employers to provide employment opportunities and tailored in-employment supports for Family Carers.
- To support young carers to continue family caring commitments while engaging in education/training.
Note: For the purposes of this programme, the term “Family Carer” can be taken to include those who have provided regular, unpaid, personal help or support to a family member, neighbour or friend with a long-term illness, health issue or issue related to old age or disability (see Census of Ireland “carer” definition). This includes Young Carers and Former Carers. The care provided must have been for at least six months before the person supported either died or moved into a nursing home or hospice.
In line with the programme objectives projects which contain the following focus will be particularly welcome:
- Projects which focus on Family Carers including Former Carers who have limited engagement with the labour market, little or no work history and little/no educational qualifications.
- Projects which focus on Young Carers and support them in balancing their educational and personal development and their caring commitments in the home.
- Projects which focus on strong partnership approaches to maximise the impact of the project. For example, this could be a partnership between a caring organisation and an employer (including social enterprises) or business network; an employment-related training organisation; a school or other education institution; or any combination of these which can effectively deliver eligible supports under this programme.
A second Application Clinic will be held from 11-12.30pm on 29 August 2024. You can register for this event here.
The closing date for applications is Friday, 6 September 2024 at 3pm. Please note, applications will only be accepted through the DAF2Portal.