What is Don Bosco Care ?

Don Bosco care provides safe and secure homes to young people who can’t live in their own homes. We encourage the young residents to attend school, and return in the evening to a welcoming home where they have access to social care and counselling Our expert staff creates a caring and family atmosphere to ensure each young person can get the care and attention they deserve. Don Bosco Care’s mission is not only to provide shelter and support to young teenagers but to ensure that they are given every opportunity to achieve their potential.

Residential Care

The young people who avail of Don Bosco Care often struggle with a variety of issues. Many have suffered from mental or physical abuse. Our staff help the young teenage residences to make good choices and encourage them in areas where they need to develop. We work to make each of our houses a warm and friendly environment that makes every young person who comes through our doors feel right at home. The moment a young person enters our care we get to know them, find out what their interests are and encourage them into a variety of games and activities. We also give the young people in our care order and structure that they may not receive elsewhere. In our houses we make young people feel part of a community so that they can learn how to trust and leave behind any sense of isolation. We do this by involving young residents in community meetings which deal with issues regarding the house they live in. We also put an emphasis on young people achieving emotional and personal growth.

Residential after care

The idea behind the residential aftercare programme for 18-21 year olds is we provide the same care and warmth that a loving family would give a young person. That is why at Don Bosco we ensure that every staff member should make a point of getting to know every young person in their care and show themselves to be their friends. While at the same time giving them some independence that prepares them for life in the real world. When a young person arrives for the first time into our care, until the moment they take their first steps into adulthood we place them at the heart of the Don Bosco community, empowering and enhancing them to grow and reach their full potential.

After Care Support

There are some who may find their first steps into adulthood a very daunting experience. One of the unique qualities of Don Bosco teenage care is our carers work with the young person over a long number of years. The friendships that are made during this time encourage some to stay in contact long after they move on from our care. They stay in contact as they feel a sense of belonging and cherish the friendships they formed during their time with us.

Don Bosco Care in Dublin

Don Bosco care was founded in 1978 under the stewardship of the Salesian priest Fr Val Collier in response to the need for a care and accommodation service to house teenagers who were unable to live with their families. Don Bosco Care first began with one house which could only accommodate up to 16 young people. In 1985 Don Bosco Care opened a second house on the Nephin Road as it became clear an expansion of our services was needed. As the demand for our services grew more houses opened their doors to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Today with our head office located on the Clontarf Rd Dublin our original goals to provide care and accommodation for vulnerable young people still remains our focus.

History of St Don Bosco

St. Don Bosco the founder of the Salesian order was concerned at the huge volume of troubled youths in the Italian city of Turin. It was this concern that encouraged him to set up an oratory for young people. In reality the oratory founded by St Don Bosco was an early form of youth club. Education was a key component of St Don Bosco’s vison to break the cycle of poverty among young people. He held the view that schooling led the path to personal betterment and this had knock on benefits for wider society. Although Don Bosco passed away in 1885 it is his outlook and determination that drives the organisation today. The Salesian Order founded by St Don Bosco came to Ireland in the year 1919. Today the mission to Ireland provides a number of services throughout the country. These services include schools, care homes, agricultural education, chaplaincy, spirituality centres, retreats, drug rehabilitation and non-formal education. The main focus for Salesians in Ireland or any other country is to respond to young people and their needs. They try and respond in the same pastoral and effective way as St Don Bosco used when he founded the order. It is the hope of the Salesian order that this approach will help in the holistic development of the young person and their families.

“The therapeutic aim is to enable fragile young people to develop their capacity to manage themselves in relation to others and to be responsible for their own choices”

Tomlinson, (2004).

The aim of our therapeutic care programme is to break down the barrier of mistrust the young people have towards adults. Engaging with the young person around activities they may be interested such as video games or sports is key to breaking this barrier. The relationships built up during this time allows the young person to have trust in the adults caring for them. This can sometimes be difficult as sometimes young people  can perceive adults a not to be trusted. When a young person arrives into the care of Don Bosco our mission  is to provide them with not only a place where there feelings are respected but also where feelings are treated with respect.

You can get in touch with Don Bosco Care online at www.donboscocare.ie, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/donboscocare or by emailing fundraising@donboscocare.ie. They can be reached over the phone by calling
01 8336009, or via post or in person at 12 Clontarf Road, Clontarf, Dublin 3.