PRESS RELEASE
7thMarch 2013.
Immediate release.
IRISH HOSPICE FOUNDATION APPEALS FOR SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL PYJAMA DAY
The Irish Hospice Foundation (IHF) has urged the public to support Early Childhood Ireland’s National Pyjama Day tomorrow (Friday, 8th March) which will raise funds for a network of Children’s Outreach Nurses nationwide – five of whom are expected to be appointed in the coming weeks.
About 40,000 pre-school children will take part in the national fundraising drive tomorrow (Friday, 8th March) and will raise funds for the IHF’s Hospice Home Care for Children programme.
Under this programme - which is operated in partnership with the Health Service Executive - eight Children’s Outreach Nurses will provide support to families caring for their seriously ill child at home. Five of the nurses will be funded by the IHF. Some three IHF funded Children’s Outreach Nurses are currently in place in Drogheda, Limerick and Waterford. The HSE funded Children’s Outreach Nurse based at Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street is expected to take up her post at the end of the month. The HSE is in the middle of an appointment process for the remaining four nurses.
Sharon Foley stated: “This has been a very positive few weeks for adult and paediatric palliative care services in Ireland. Only this week, a nationalneeds assessment on the respite needs of children with life limiting conditions was launched and presents a very clear roadmap of how to develop a responsive respite service for our most vulnerable children. And by the summer, we will have a network of highly skilled nurses in place to support families to care for their seriously ill children at home.”
She continued: “Early Childhood Ireland hopes to raise €250,000 from National Pyjama Day to support five of the eight Children’sOutreach Nurse posts. We are delighted that up to 40,000 pre-school children are registered to take part in National Pyjama Day tomorrow. We hope parents and members of the public will support the youngsters who will wear their pyjamas during the day in an effort to help other children and I want to thank all the childcare professionals around the country who make this happen.”
Irene Gunning, CEO of Early Childhood Ireland added that, “The spirit of National Pyjama Day is children helping children and having fun and its foundation is the hard work and dedication of childcare professionals in every community in Ireland. On behalf of Early Childhood Ireland I want to say a big thank you to all involved. We are well on our way to raising another €250,000 to fund the IHF network of Children’s Outreach Nurses nationwide and this special day, with all its pyjama magic, will create special memories for the children involved.”
FM104 is the media partner for National Pyjama Day 2013. This is the 10th year of National Pyjama Day which has raised over €1.73m for children’s charities. Early Childhood Ireland is the representative group for preschools and daycare centres nationwide, supporting over 110,000 young children and their families.
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For more information, please contact:
Kirana Bhagwan, Communications Coordinator, The Irish Hospice Foundation,
Tel: 087-6548915 or email
Please contact Carmel Doyle, Early Childhood Ireland, Tel: 087 247 3537
Note to Editor
Please contact Carmel Doyle in Early Childhood Ireland if you would like to set up an interview with a local childcare service on National Pyjama Day.
Details of childcare services by county to be inserted.