Care Built on Trust, Stability, and Purpose
Elkanna was founded with a clear purpose: to provide safe, stable, and nurturing residential care for children and young people who need it most. We believe every child deserves consistency, dignity, and a genuine chance to thrive.
We are not a large institution. We are a focused team that takes a hands-on, relationship-first approach to care — working closely with children, families, and social work teams to deliver meaningful outcomes.
To deliver responsive, trauma-informed care that prioritises each child's safety and long-term development.
We work with integrity, accountability, and a deep commitment to getting it right for every young person in our care. That means structured support, dedicated key workers, and therapeutic interventions tailored to the individual.
A future where every child in care experiences stability, safety, and a sense of belonging.
We envision care environments that feel like home — not institutions. Places where children build confidence, resilience, and the skills they need for life beyond care. The right environment can change everything.
The right care environment doesn't just keep a child safe — it gives them the foundation to grow, heal, and believe in what comes next.
— Elkanna Management
Safeguarding at Every Level
Elkanna operates under the National Standards for Children's Residential Centres. Our safeguarding policies, incident reporting, and governance structures are designed to protect children and provide stakeholders with confidence in our service.
Tusla Registered
Full registration and compliance
HIQA Standards
National quality framework adherence
Children First Act
Statutory safeguarding obligations
Garda Vetted Staff
All team members fully vetted
What Guides Everything We Do
These aren't aspirations on a wall. They're the principles that shape how we hire, how we plan care, and how we hold ourselves accountable every day.
Child-Centred
Every decision starts with the child. We shape care around individual needs, strengths, and aspirations — not the other way around.
Safety First
Safeguarding is woven into everything we do — from how we recruit and train staff, to how we communicate with families and partners.
Collaborative
We work alongside social workers, families, and placement teams as genuine partners, because better collaboration leads to better outcomes.
Accountable
We hold ourselves to the highest standards of governance, transparency, and regulatory compliance — and we welcome scrutiny.
Consistency, Not Just Compliance
We go beyond ticking boxes. Our care model is designed to create real stability — through relationships, routines, and responsiveness.
Dedicated Key Workers
Every child is matched with a key worker who builds a lasting, trusting relationship and advocates for their needs across every aspect of care.
Trauma-Informed Practice
All staff are trained to recognise how adverse experiences affect behaviour and development, and to respond with empathy, not just protocols.
Multi-Agency Partnership
We work alongside Tusla social work teams, families, therapists, and educators to ensure joined-up, continuous support at every stage.
A Small Team, Doing Big Things
Elkanna is led by people who have worked on the frontline of children's care. We know what good care looks like because we've delivered it — and we've seen what happens when it's missing.
Shalom Nnebedum
Co-Founder & Director
With years of frontline experience in children's residential care, Shalom co-founded Elkanna to build the kind of service she believed every child deserved — one rooted in consistency, dignity, and genuine relationships.
Oluchi Concelia Okolie
Co-Founder & Director
Oluchi brings deep expertise in healthcare management and a passion for child welfare. Together with Shalom, she drives Elkanna's vision of delivering community-centred care that puts children and families first.