The system that was failing vulnerable children — and the fix that changed everything
From Transform Gov - the digital government podcast by Maeve Kneafsey
March 24, 2026 · 35 min · Season 2 · Episode 63
About this episode
This episode discusses the transformation of a childcare system that significantly reduced waiting times for vulnerable children.
This is not a tech story. This is a human story. Before this system existed, vulnerable children could wait weeks for access to childcare — stuck in a maze of emails, forms, and approvals. Now? Minutes. On this episode of Transform Gov, Maeve Kneafsey speaks with Ruth Shortall (POBAL) and Ciarán Madden (Department of Children) about the system that: Cut waiting times from 3 weeks to minutes Connected multiple agencies into one seamless flow Removed friction for frontline workers under pressure And quietly transformed outcomes for families at critical moments This is what real digital transformation looks like. Not flashy. Not theoretical. But life-changing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Maeve Kneafsey
Guests: Ruth Shortall, Ciarán Madden
Topics covered
- digital transformation
- childcare system
- vulnerable children
- government technology
- agency collaboration
Keywords
- digital transformation
- childcare
- vulnerable children
- waiting times
- agency collaboration
- frontline workers
- human story
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: POBAL, Department of Children
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