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Foster Care Supports

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 May 2014

Tuesday, 6 May 2014

Questions (355)

Terence Flanagan

Question:

355. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if financial assistance is available for fostering children (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20240/14]

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Written answers

Under the Child Care Act, 1991 and the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013, the Child and Family Agency has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. The majority of children in care are in foster care, one third of whom are placed with relatives. The Child and Family Agency receive a child into care where it appears that a child requires care and protection that he is unlikely to receive unless he is taken into care. Children are not received into care for the purpose of alleviating financial hardship. The Department of Social Protection provides for a guardianship payment in such circumstances.

The Department of Social Protection has advised that Guardian's payment (contributory) and guardian's payment (non-contributory) are payments made to a person caring for a child who is defined as an orphan under Social Welfare legislation; both of whose parents are dead, or a child whose parent or parents have abandoned and failed to provide for them. In cases where one or both of the child's parents are still alive, a Deciding Officer considers all of the evidence available, including the nature of the relationship between the parent(s) and the children concerned, in order to establish whether or not the children in question have been abandoned.

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