Doras Buí

What Doras Buí does

Doras Buí is an Irish registered charity (Charity #6827; CRA #20013530; Company #113952) operating as a Family Resource Centre from a purpose-built facility on Bunratty Drive, Coolock, Dublin 17. Founded in 1986 as P.A.R.C. (Parents Alone Resource Centre) under the EU's Second Programme to Combat Poverty, it was the first locally based resource centre in Ireland dedicated specifically to lone parents and their children. The organisation serves lone-parent families, young/teen parents (up to age 19), children aged 0–5 (via the Early Years Centre), children aged 4–12 (via play/art/drama therapy and the Rainbows bereavement programme), adolescents 12–17, and vulnerable families across approximately 30 North East Dublin neighbourhoods, with catchment stretching from disadvantaged areas (Priorswood, Darndale, Kilmore West) to more affluent zones (Clontarf, Dollymount, Raheny).

The core service portfolio comprises five integrated offerings delivered under one roof: an Early Years Centre (89 childcare places for children 6 months to 5 years, implementing the High/Scope Early Years Curriculum); the Young Parent Support Programme (YPSP) for pregnant or parenting young people up to 19; Information & Support (advocacy and navigation of statutory services covering housing, social welfare, family law, and employment); Counselling for Parents & Adolescents and Counselling for Children (art, drama, and play therapy, plus Rainbows); and a calendar of Programme Courses & Events spanning parenting, health, wellbeing, self-development, arts, and family outings. The Board of Management and staff are largely composed of people with lived experience of lone parenting, and the centre's patron is former President Mary Robinson.

Revenue is assembled from multiple non-equity sources: statutory grants from Tusla, the Department of Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth, the School Completion Programme, and SICAP via Northside Partnership; charitable foundation grants (Community Foundation, Reach Fund, Irish Youth Foundation, Treoir); Dublin City Council funding (Inclusion Fund, Climate Action Fund); corporate donations from local businesses (Tesco Ireland, Dunnes Stores, Sysco, ESB, Northside Home Care, among others); modest €10 per-course programme fees; and public donations accepted via the website in preset amounts from €5 to €1,000. Distribution is direct and walk-in at the Coolock centre (Resource Centre 9am–5pm; Childcare 8:30am–6pm, Monday–Friday), supplemented by phone, email, a quarterly newsletter, an active Facebook page, and inbound referrals from schools, GPs, health professionals, social workers, and partner community organisations.

Name

Doras Buí

Legal name

Doras Buí

Website

https://dorasbui.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Doras Buí is an Irish registered charity and Family Resource Centre in Coolock, Dublin 17, delivering integrated childcare (89 places), counselling, a Young Parent Support Programme, and community courses for lone parents and vulnerable families across North East Dublin. Founded 1986; funded by statutory grants, foundations, corporate donations, and public donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Family Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child Care Services (624410), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK), Center-Based Toddler Care (18–36 months) (EDACAGAB), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Family resource centre
• Community childcare services
• Parent support programmes
• Child play therapy
• Community education courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government & Statutory Funding: Core operational funding received from government departments and statutory bodies including Tusla (child counselling and Teen Parent Support), Department of Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth (Early Years and Childcare), School Completion Programme (Teen Parent Support Programme), and SICAP via Northside Partnership.
2. Foundation & Grant Funding: Project-specific grants from charitable foundations including Community Foundation (training, workshops, facilities), Reach Fund (first aid training, team building, family trips), Dublin City Council Inclusion Fund (additional needs classes, solar panels), and Irish Youth Foundation (creative therapeutic workshops).
3. Corporate Donations & Sponsorships: Local business donations from Sysco foods, Tesco Ireland, Palm Free Soap, Cake That, Carraig Donn, Dunnes Stores, Beauty Xpress, PH Systems, ESB, Northside Home Care, and others.
4. Donations: Public donations accepted through online payment options with preset amounts ranging from €5 to €1000.
5. Programme/Course Fees: Modest programme fees of €10.00 per programme/course to support sustainability.
6. Childcare Fees: Fee-based childcare services with CCSP, ECCE, and NCS Funding support available. Full-time and part-time morning/afternoon options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Doras Buí is a community Family Resource Centre delivering an integrated set of services for lone-parent and vulnerable families in North East Dublin. Its core offerings include a full-time Early Years crèche (89 places, ages 6 months to 5 years) using the High/Scope Curriculum, the Young Parent Support Programme for pregnant/parenting teens up to 19, information and advocacy on housing/welfare/family law, confidential counselling for parents and adolescents (12–17), play/art/drama therapy and Rainbows bereavement support for children aged 4–12, and group courses covering health, parenting, arts, and work preparation.

Product overview

Doras Buí is a community development resource centre offering a unified set of services for lone-parent and vulnerable families in North East Dublin. The centre provides a childcare/creche service (Early Years Centre with 89 places for children 6 months to 5 years), the Young Parent Support Programme (YPSP), Information & Support, counselling services for parents, adolescents, and children (including Rainbows bereavement programme), and Programme Courses & Events including arts, health, and personal development activities. These services work holistically to support families toward social and economic independence, with free childcare provided for parents participating in group activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Years Centre / Crèche Full-time and part-time childcare service for babies/waddlers (6 months–2 years), toddlers (2–3 years), and pre-schoolers (3–5 years), open 8:30am–6:00pm Monday to Friday, implementing the High/Scope Early Years Curriculum. Funding support available via CCSP, ECCE, and NCS.
• Young Parent Support Programme (YPSP)

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TuslacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing funding from Tusla to provide child counselling services and Teen Parent Support worker. Tusla Commissioning strategy 2019-2023 used as guideline for best practice.
• Northside Partnership (SICAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSICAP via Northside Partnership provides core funding to cover staffing costs, allowing continued delivery of supports and programmes to people parenting alone. Doras Buí is consortium partner in SICAP programme working with Northside Partnership to support families and build inclusive communities.
• Northside PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for Young Parent Support Programme ensuring comprehensive service delivery across North Dublin.
• Preparing for LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency in Young Parent Support Programme multi-agency approach.
• Kilmore West Youth ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency in Young Parent Support Programme multi-agency approach.
• Discovery CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency in Young Parent Support Programme multi-agency approach.
• Salvation ArmycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency in Young Parent Support Programme multi-agency approach.
• New Communities PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency in Young Parent Support Programme multi-agency approach.
• Mercy CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner in Young Parent Support Programme to support young parents in staying in education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• One Family: National organisation for one-parent families in Ireland, providing counselling, parenting support, training, and advocacy — directly comparable mission to Doras Buí's lone-parent focus, though operating as a national advocacy body rather than a place-based centre.
• Treoir: National federation of services for unmarried parents and their children, providing information and advocacy — directly comparable in mission scope and works alongside Doras Buí as a grant provider for teen parents.
• Preparing for Life: North Dublin early intervention programme for children aged 0–5 and their families — directly comparable target population and evidence-based early childhood approach, and a multi-agency partner within Doras Buí's YPSP delivery.
• Familibase: Family resource centre operating in Dublin's north inner city, providing childcare, parenting programmes, and community support services to lone-parent and disadvantaged families — a direct peer in the Tusla-supported FRC network.
• Ballymun Family Resource Centre: Northside Dublin family resource centre offering childcare, counselling, education programmes, and information services to a comparable disadvantaged catchment — closest geographic and demographic peer to Doras Buí.

Broad incumbents

• ISPCC Childline: National Irish children's charity providing Childline, support services, and family-related programmes — overlaps with Doras Buí's counselling-for-children and Rainbows bereavement offerings but at a national, higher-scale footprint.
• Crosscare: Large Dublin-based social services agency of the Catholic Archdiocese delivering childcare, family support, housing, and youth services across the city — comparable one-stop-shop service model but at greater scale and broader remit.
• Barnardos: Ireland's largest children's charity, providing early years, family support, and post-separation services nationwide — shares the family support and childcare delivery model but operates across many locations with a much larger infrastructure.

Others

• Early Years Ireland: National representative body for the early years sector in Ireland — relevant as a comparability reference for creche operationally (Siolta-aligned) and as a potential sectoral partner, though not a direct service competitor.
• Northside Partnership: Local development company under Ireland's SICAP programme covering the same North Dublin catchment — direct operational partner and consortium counterpart, providing core staffing funding to Doras Buí rather than competing services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Doras-Bui/194124610705401?fref=ts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/doras-bui

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Doras Buí