National Child Development Centre

Every day that construction is stalled, another child loses precious time to reach their potential

Help Us Restart Construction and Build Hope for Thousands of Children

Just six months after breaking ground on Ireland’s first National Child Development Centre, we were forced to halt construction in October 2024. This centre was meant to be a beacon of hope for families of children with additional needs—a place where they could finally access the therapies and support they deserve.

Right now, 2,000 children are waiting for this centre to open. Across Ireland, children are languishing for years on public waiting lists for vital services like speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. Every day that construction is stalled means more children waiting, more families struggling, and more potential lost.

Right now, thousands of children are waiting—and every day that passes means another child left behind

We urgently need your help to get construction back on track.

Why This Centre Matters

Once complete, the National Child Development Centre will:

Provide 300 children every week with life-changing therapies and assessments.
Reduce waiting times for families who have nowhere else to turn.
Transform lives by helping children reach their full potential.

This is not just a building—it’s a lifeline for thousands of children and families.

The Challenge We Face

Halting construction has created unexpected costs:

Additional costs to secure and insure the site.
Additional works to weatherproof and protect what’s already built.
Inflation and remobilisation costs when construction resumes.

We now need to raise the final €1 million to complete this project and cover these extra expenses.

How You Can Help

Your donation will:

Restart construction as soon as possible.
Ensure vulnerable children aren’t left waiting even longer.
Build a centre that will change lives for generations.

This is your chance to give a gift that truly matters—a gift that will create brighter futures for tens of thousands of children and families.

We are also calling on the government to:

Release the remaining €4.6 million in approved funding to substantially complete and weatherproof the building.
Provide €5 million for fit-out costs so we can open our doors.

But we cannot wait. These children cannot wait. We refuse to fail them.

Please help us Save Our Site and finish building this centre of hope. Every euro brings us closer to opening doors for children who need us most.

Donate today and be part of something extraordinary.

[Watch the inspiring stories of children already helped by Sensational Kids ➡️ Insert video link]

Thank you for standing with us.

Donate Now

Your Help Will Make a Difference To 300 Children Per Week, Children like JC, Brody, Fiadh and Hugo

Help Us Build Brighter Futures for Children in Ireland

Sensational Kids has already changed the lives of over 11,000 children, saving families more than €4 million in therapy fees. But the need is growing—demand for our services has surged dramatically, and with 100,000 children on long waiting lists for developmental therapies, this challenge will only increase in the coming years.

That’s why we’re building the National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town—a state-of-the-art facility that will expand our capacity to deliver life-changing therapy supports for children with additional needs. With your help, we can make this vision a reality.

Your donation isn’t just a gift—it’s an investment in brighter futures for thousands of children and families across Ireland. Together, we can ensure every child gets the support they need, when they need it.

Why This Matters

Right now, over 100,000 children in Ireland are stuck on public waiting lists for essential therapies—waiting months or even years for assessments and interventions that can change their lives. These children deserve better. Families deserve a world-class facility designed to meet their children’s sensory and developmental needs, giving them the best chance to thrive.

Where We’re Building Hope

We are creating a custom-built National Child Development Centre on a 2.4-acre greenfield site in Kildare Town, strategically located beside the M7 motorway for easy access. This flagship centre will be a Centre of Excellence, setting new standards for therapy services for children with additional needs in Ireland.

Our Solution

The National Child Development Centre will be an exemplar in design and innovation—featuring state-of-the-art therapy spaces, sensory-friendly environments, and outdoor play areas. It will allow us to expand capacity, reduce waiting times, and provide life-changing supports to thousands of children and families every year.

Support Services at Our New National Child Development Centre

Our National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town will be a Centre of Excellence, offering a comprehensive range of therapy and support services for children with additional needs. Designed to reduce waiting times and provide world-class care, this flagship facility will include:

Occupational Therapy Assessments & Interventions
Speech & Language Therapy Assessments & Interventions
Play Therapy for Emotional & Social Development
Educational Psychological Assessments
Autism Diagnostic Assessments
Holistic Activities to Support Child Development
Professional Development Training for Educators & Clinicians
Parent Support Groups & Family Events

This centre will not only transform access to essential therapies for children in Ireland, but also create a hub for education, training, and community support.

👉 Help us make this vision a reality. Donate today.

Who Will Benefit

Our new National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town will transform access to therapy services for children and adolescents with additional needs across Ireland. This includes children who are:

Autistic
Dyslexic
Dyspraxic (Developmental Coordination Disorder)
Living with Down Syndrome
Experiencing ADD/ADHD
Fragile X Syndrome
Intellectual Disabilities
Mental Health Challenges
Sensory Processing Difficulties
Speech & Language Delays or Disorders
And many other developmental delays and neurotypes.

Early identification and intervention are key. By supporting children at a young age, we can help them reach their full potential at home, in school, and in their communities.

👉 Help us build this life-changing centre and give every child the chance to thrive.

Designed for Children and Families

Our National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town has been thoughtfully designed to meet the unique needs of children with additional needs and their families. Every space is created to support therapy, play, and learning in a safe, sensory-friendly environment.

Children and families will benefit from:

11 State-of-the-Art Therapy Rooms
4 Sensory Motor Gyms for Movement and Coordination
Dedicated Sensory Room for Calming and Regulation
Therapeutic Kitchen for Functional Life Skills
Training Rooms for Parent and Professional Workshops
Play, Develop & Learn Store for Educational Resources
Therapeutic Sensory-Motor Playground for Outdoor Fun
Covered Sensory Gardens for Year-Round Play

This flagship centre will be a hub of excellence for therapy services in Ireland, helping children thrive and families feel supported.

Message from CEO & Founder

A Message from Our CEO & Founder – Building Hope, Changing Lives

Sixteen years ago, as a parent, I faced the same frustration that thousands of families in Ireland experience today—the lack of timely therapy supports for children with additional needs. With the help of family and friends, we fundraised to create Sensational Kids, a charity dedicated to providing affordable occupational therapy and speech & language therapy so no child would be left behind.

During a trip to the USA for surgery for one of our children, I visited incredible therapy facilities that inspired a vision: world-class child development centres in Ireland. That dream became reality when we opened our first centre in Kildare Town, followed by three more across the country. Together, we’ve supported over 11,000 children and saved families more than €4 million in therapy fees.

Today, demand for our services is higher than ever. Our Kildare centre has outgrown its space, and because the building was sold, we’re operating from a short-term rental. But we’ve never stopped dreaming. We are now embarking on our most ambitious project yet—the National Child Development Centre, a custom-built facility with indoor and outdoor sensory spaces designed to help children thrive.

This flagship centre will ensure no child is left waiting for essential therapies. But we need your help to make it happen. If you share our vision for brighter futures, please consider donating online or contact me to learn how you or your company can play a vital role in this life-changing project.

Together, we can make dreams come true for children and families across Ireland.

Karen Leigh
CEO & Founder, Sensational Kids

To find out more about how you can help please contact Karen Leigh, Founder & CEO of Sensational Kids.

Email: karen@sensationalkids.ie or Phone 045 520900