SERVICES
Monaghan County Libraries and Tusla the Child and Family Agency are delighted to partner together to provide a library collection within the Tusla Wellbeing Centre aimed at Children and Young People in foster care, their carers and all other young people who use the facilities in the centre. The books provided by Monaghan County Library cover a range of topics and are geared towards all age groups.
Karen McCague, Executive Librarian with Monaghan County Library Services explains
“It’s important for children and young people to be able to see themselves and their life experiences reflected in stories so that they understand that they are not alone. We hope that by having this collection of books available within the Wellbeing Centre, children will have the opportunity to explore the stories with a caregiver or on their own and perhaps recognise themselves, their thoughts, or their experiences. This collection of books also encourages empathy and personal development as well as dealing with big themes such as grief, separation, self-confidence and identity. “
Charlene Duff, Senior Child and Family Support Network Co-Ordinator based in the Tusla Child Wellbeing Centre in Castleblayney added that
“The Child and Family Networks across Monaghan have a strong history of working together creatively and today is another example of how connecting with our colleagues can bring projects like this together to help support Children and Young People who use the centre. The books are a collection of stories that reflect the real lives that children lead and we hope they will be enjoyed by many young people for years to come.”
Whilst this collection is specifically for use by Tusla service users, all titles are also available through the public library network.
For more information on this initiative please contact kmccague@monaghancoco.ie.