What Youth Advocate Programmes Ireland does

YAP Ireland (Youth Advocate Programmes Ireland) is a registered Irish charity founded in 2002 that delivers community-based intensive advocacy and support programmes for at-risk children and young people aged 8–18 and their families. The organisation operates the proprietary YAP Model — a strengths-based, needs-led, wraparound approach in which trained community-based advocates, often residents of the local area, deliver up to 15 hours per week of one-to-one support over a six-month engagement under a No Eject, No Reject policy with 24/7 on-call backup. The service portfolio comprises nine core programmes: the Intensive Support Main Programme, Family Support, YAPAbility (disability and autism), Independent Mental Health Advocacy, Irish Youth Justice (post-Oberstown detention), Crisis Intervention, Out-of-Hours, Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) and Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP), complemented by youth and parent participation programmes and an Educational Assistance Fund providing grants of up to €1,000 per applicant.

The organisation is licensed to operate the YAP Model under an affiliation with US-based non-profit YAP Inc. and is governed by a Board of Directors led by an independent Chair. It runs five regional offices — Dublin headquarters, Cavan, Cork, Limerick and a newly opened Navan hub — covering 22 Irish counties, with a staff of 43 and an active advocate network recruited on fixed-term contracts at €17.74 per hour. Service delivery is supported by a structured outcomes measurement system tracking Self, Family, Education/Employment/Training and Safety/Offending Behaviour on a 1–9 scale, with longitudinal data covering more than 2,000 young people between 2011 and 2019.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through statutory contracts — primarily with Tusla Child and Family Agency (founding partner since 2002), HSE (disability and mental health), Oberstown Children's Detention Campus, and private mental health providers St John of Gods and St Patrick's — supplemented by charitable donations via iDonate, PayPal and direct debit, corporate sponsorship, and the Educational Assistance Fund. The intensive support programme is priced at €450 per week (€10,500 over six months), positioned as a roughly 90% cost saving versus €4,000 per week for private residential care, and 100% of surveyed statutory referrers in 2019 said they would refer again.

Name

Youth Advocate Programmes Ireland

Legal name

YAP Ireland CLG

Website

https://yapireland.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Short description

YAP Ireland is an Irish registered charity that delivers intensive community-based advocacy and family support programmes for at-risk children, young people and families under a proprietary wraparound model, funded primarily through statutory agency contracts with Tusla and HSE.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth and Family Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Community Health & Prevention Program Funding (HLAJALAF), Maternal, Child & Family Health Program Funding (HLAJALAG)

Keywords

• Community-based youth advocacy
• Family support services
• Youth justice services
• Independent mental health advocacy
• Disability support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin 7

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Statutory Funding: Primary revenue stream from government agencies including Tusla Child and Family Agency (primary funder since 2002), HSE (Health Service Executive) for disability and mental health services, Oberstown Children's Detention Campus for youth justice services, and private mental health providers St John of Gods and St Patrick's Hospital. Services are commissioned and funded on a per-case or contractual basis through these statutory agencies.
2. Charitable Donations: Public donations accepted through iDonate platform, PayPal, direct debit, and standing order. Donations fund participation groups and projects for young people. Tax relief schemes (CHY3/CHY4 forms) enable reclaiming tax at blended rate of 31% from Revenue Commissioners.
3. Educational Assistance Fund: Individual grants of up to €1,000 per applicant for young people who have completed the YAP Programme (over 16 undertaking 3rd level, apprenticeship or further training) or parents/carers commencing education. Covers course fees (up to €1,000/year), laptops (up to €500), books (up to €500), and work clothes for apprenticeships (up to €600).
4. Corporate Sponsorship and Partnerships: Corporate sponsorship including skill sharing, creative and marketing consulting, fundraising support, event sponsorship. Corporate partners benefit from association with a widely known organization featured prominently in TV, radio, and national/local print media.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

YAP Ireland provides intensive, community-based advocacy and family support programmes for at-risk young people aged 8-18 (and in some services up to 23) and their families across 22 counties in Ireland. Services include up to 15 hours per week of one-to-one support for 6 months delivered by locally recruited community-based Advocates under a proprietary strengths-based, never-give-up methodology, with separate programme lines for disability, mental health advocacy, youth justice, education, crisis intervention, aftercare, and separated children seeking international protection. Revenue is primarily earned through per-case and per-hour contracts commissioned by statutory agencies, supplemented by donations, grants and corporate sponsorship.

Product overview

Youth Advocate Programmes Ireland (YAP Ireland) operates as a single unified service model rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization delivers community-based advocacy and support programmes centered on the YAP Model—a strengths-based, needs-led, wraparound approach. The core portfolio includes the Intensive Support Main Programme (6-month, 15 hours/week), Family Support Programme, YAPAbility Disability Service (12-month), Independent Mental Health Advocacy, Irish Youth Justice Service, Crisis Intervention Service, Out of Hours Service, TESS, and SCSIP. These are complemented by participation programmes (Youth Participation, Youth CEO, Parents Participation) and the Educational Assistance Fund. All services share the common framework of matching community-based advocates with referred young people and families to achieve positive outcomes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YAPAbility: Community-based support service providing a 12-month Intensive Support Programme for young people aged 8 to 23 with disabilities, autism, or physical disabilities.
• TESS
• SCSIP

Products and services

• Intensive Support Main Programme Provides up to 15 hours per week of one-to-one community-based intensive support for 6 months to young people aged 8-18 (and their families) who are at high risk of placement in care, secure care, or custody, using the proprietary YAP Model.
• Family Support Programme Provides 15 hours per week of support for 6 months to families requiring time-limited, focused help, working with parents and carers to reduce risk to children, improve parenting skills, household routines, budgeting and goal achievement.
• YAPAbility Disability and Mental Health Intensive Support Service A 12-month community-based programme providing up to 15 hours per week of one-to-one help for young people aged 8-23 with mild to moderate learning difficulties, physical disabilities, autism or those awaiting diagnosis, supporting independent living skills and reducing the risk of placement breakdowns.
• Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IAS) Provides Independent Advocacy Services to HSE adolescent inpatient units and community teams in CHO2, CHO4 and CHO9, supporting young people to understand services, express their views, and participate more actively in their own care.
• Irish Youth Justice Service (Oberstown Transition Support) Provides 15 hours per week of intensive support for 6 months for young people referred by Oberstown Children's Detention Campus to support their reintegration into the community upon release, including family preparation and aftercare support.
• Crisis Intervention Service Offers rapid response support to young people at immediate risk of out-of-home placement, providing an advocate within 48 hours to engage the young person and reduce further risk of placement disruption.
• Out of Hours Service Provides 24-hour rapid response support for young people referred by the Tusla Crisis Intervention Service to support temporary placement and care planning when they find themselves out of home.
• Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) Early intervention programme providing intensive support to young people directly referred by Education Welfare Officers to address underlying reasons impacting school refusal, attendance issues, and educational achievement.
• Separated Children Seeking International Protection (SCSIP) Programmes supporting separated children seeking international protection, including independent advocacy eligibility assessments and a 4-month integration support programme launched in partnership with Tusla for Separated Children Seeking International Protection and Ukrainian Minors.
• Educational Assistance Fund Grant scheme providing up to €1,000 per applicant to graduates of the YAP Programme who are over 16 and undertaking 3rd level, apprenticeship or further training, or to parents/carers of graduates who are commencing education themselves; covers course fees (up to €1,000/year), laptops (up to €500), books (up to €500) and work clothes for apprenticeships (up to €600).

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% improvement in Self Esteem/Confidence among 2,083 young people tracked 2011-2019
• +9 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core, primary and secondary.

• LIFT IrelandsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024YAP Ireland partnered with LIFT Ireland in June 2024 to implement the LIFT leadership programme across staff teams and services. LIFT is a social enterprise initiative aimed at increasing positive leadership in Ireland through a bespoke programme supporting organisational and staff development.
• Oberstown Children's Detention CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015YAP Ireland has been providing services to young people leaving Oberstown and transitioning back into their communities since 2015. Services include 15 hours/week intensive support for 6 months to prepare young people and families for reintegration.
• Tusla Child and Family AgencyprimaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2002YAP Ireland's primary funder and founding partner since 2002. Tusla commissions intensive support services for young people and families at risk across 22 counties in Ireland. The partnership has achieved positive outcomes documented in annual reports and external evaluations.
• HSE (Health Service Executive)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHSE funds disability services (YAPAbility programme for young people with disabilities) and mental health services (Independent Advocacy in CHO2, CHO4, CHO9 and CAMHS intensive support). In Cavan Monaghan, disability places are jointly funded with Tusla.
• St John of Gods HospitalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerYAP Ireland provides Independent Advocacy Service to the Ginesa Suite, the adolescent service at St John of Gods Hospital, supporting young people to understand services and advocate for themselves.
• St Patrick's Mental Health ServicessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerYAP Ireland provides Independent Advocacy Service to Willow Grove, the adolescent unit in St Patrick's Mental Health Services, enhancing young people's voice and participation in their care.
• National Youth Council of IrelandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloped Child Protection Awareness Training in conjunction with the National Youth Council of Ireland. YAP training for advocates includes this NYCI-developed component alongside YAP's own Core Module training.
• NUI Galway UNESCO Child and Family Research CentresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted independent qualitative research study 'The Strengths and Challenges of the YAP Ireland Community Based Advocate Model' in 2019, providing external validation of the YAP approach.
• YAP Inc. (International)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYAP Ireland operates under licence from YAP Inc., one of the largest non-profit agencies providing exclusively non-residential, community-based programs. YAP Inc. traces roots to 1975 and operates in 28 US states serving 20,000+ families annually. YAP Ireland developed and supported community-based programs in Ireland, Scotland, Guatemala and Sierra Leone under the international network.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Barnardo's Ireland: Barnardo's Ireland is a major children's charity delivering community-based family support, early intervention and aftercare services across Ireland. It is directly comparable to YAP Ireland in target population (vulnerable children and families), referral channels (Tusla/HSE), and community-based delivery model.
• Foróige: Foróige is Ireland's leading youth development organisation working with young people aged 10-25 across community projects, youth services, and targeted programmes including justice services. It overlaps with YAP in serving at-risk adolescents, working with Tusla, and operating community-based youth work models.
• Crosscare: Crosscare is a Dublin-based social care agency providing youth services, community food programmes, family support and youth justice work. It is comparable to YAP in serving vulnerable youth and families in Ireland, and is even cited as a former employer of YAP's own Service Manager.
• EPIC (Empowering People in Care): EPIC is an Irish advocacy organisation for children and young people in care or with care experience. It is comparable to YAP in providing independent advocacy, supporting looked-after children, and engaging directly with statutory bodies like Tusla on behalf of at-risk youth.
• ISPCC (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children): ISPCC is Ireland's oldest children's charity, providing Childline support, family services and child protection advocacy. It overlaps with YAP in mission (protecting vulnerable children), funding sources (statutory and donations), and offering direct support services to at-risk youth across Ireland.
• Extern Ireland: Extern is a social justice charity operating across Ireland and Northern Ireland providing services for vulnerable children, young people, families, and people in the justice system. It is comparable to YAP in delivering community-based, intensive support to at-risk young people referred through statutory agencies.
• Jigsaw: Jigsaw is the National Centre for Youth Mental Health in Ireland, providing mental health support for 12-25 year olds through community-based services. It overlaps with YAP's Independent Mental Health Advocacy service in serving young people with mental health needs and partnering with HSE/CAMHS.

Broad incumbents

• Family Resource Centres National Forum: The network of 121 Tusla-funded Family Resource Centres delivers family support and community development across Ireland. They are comparable to YAP as a broader incumbent serving similar populations via community-based delivery, but offer a wider range of services rather than the specialised intensive advocate model.

Emerging players

• SpunOut.ie: SpunOut.ie is an Irish youth information and advocacy organisation focused on health, wellbeing and rights of young people aged 16-24. It is an emerging peer with thematic overlap to YAP's Youth Participation and Youth CEO programmes, but delivers primarily digital/online rather than intensive one-to-one community support.

Others

• Children's Rights Alliance: Children's Rights Alliance is a coalition of over 100 organisations working to advance children's rights in Ireland, including YAP Ireland. It is an adjacent, enabling peer — not a direct service provider, but a policy and advocacy body whose activities influence the same Tusla/HSE commissioning environment in which YAP operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Youth Advocate Programmes Ireland