Mother Tongues Awarded the KHF Children’s Promise Grant

Mother Tongues is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded funding through the Katharine Howard Foundation’s Children’s Promise Grants Programme!

This grant will allow us to expand our flagship Language Explorers initiative into County Roscommon over the coming three years, establishing Mother Tongues locally and delivering our programme in partnership with the South Roscommon Family Resource Centre and our longstanding, trusted collaborators at Roscommon Arts Centre.

Why Creative Spaces Matter for Families

Raising a family comes with immense joy, but it can also bring challenges, especially for parents living in rural areas, moving to a new community, or navigating complex systems like International Protection.

In Ireland today, an estimated one in five children lives in enforced deprivation. Beyond financial worries, isolation and a lack of local connection can make early childhood feel overwhelming. As researcher Dr O’Reilly noted in her evaluation of our workshop programme:

Parents of young children often feel isolated, and this may be exacerbated for recently arrived parents who are navigating the International Protection system, and who may be lacking social capital and connection, as well as confidence in the English language.

At Mother Tongues, we believe every child is born with the potential to thrive. We know that real integration and belonging take time, repetition and a safe environment. Our goal is simple: to create a space where families don’t have to navigate these journeys alone and where every child’s language, background and identity are celebrated. This has been the core mission of Language Explorers since 2022.

What’s Coming to County Roscommon

Through this partnership, we are laying down long-term roots in Roscommon so we can offer consistent, meaningful art experiences for children aged 3 to 6 and their parents or caregivers.

The most significant improvement is the presence of a dedicated Local Outreach Officer, someone on the ground in Roscommon to listen, connect directly with families, and make sure our workshops are accessible to those who need them most.

Unlike many after-school activities where parents drop off their children at the door, Language Explorers is designed for parents and kids to create side by side.

As one parent who attended our sessions put it:

For a change, it was amazing to have something fun to do as a family together. Normally the kids have their activities by themselves, but as parents we never do anything together like that... It feels like we are all human.

Investing in creative, family-centred activities helps break down barriers of isolation, supports early learning, and builds a kinder, more connected community for our children to grow up in.

We are deeply grateful to the Katharine Howard Foundation, Community Foundation Ireland and the Sunflower Charitable Foundation for supporting us in making this vision a reality.

We can’t wait to deepen our relationships with more and more families in Roscommon.

Meanwhile, if you live in the area, you can already join the Language Explorers workshops happening at the Roscommon Arts Centre!