Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 11 May 2022
202. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in some parts of the country foster carers are not given care plans for children; if his attention has been further drawn to the lack of standardisation across the country in this regard; the plans that are in place to rectify the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23561/22]
View answerTo reply to the Deputy's question my Department requested information from Tusla. They have informed us of the following:
Foster carers who are caring for the child on a day-to-day basis play a critically important and valuable role in contributing to the care plan of children in their care. Every foster carer should receive a copy of the child’s care plan and any exceptions to this should be discussed with the foster carer and the rationale clearly outlined (and recorded on file). Notwithstanding that care plans may include details about the child’s parents or other family members and that GDPR considerations may exist, there should always be a full explanation to foster carers in respect of same and if required a redacted copy of the care plan provided. It is Tusla's ambition that a partnership approach is adopted in the development of care plans for each and every child in care.
Tusla have received feedback during a recent consultation on foster care, on ways in which the Agency can better support and promote foster care in Ireland. For children and young people, they felt that Tusla needs to establish stronger mechanisms for ensuring that their voices are heard in their care planning process and that decisions are made with them and not for them. Equally birth parents had a strong sense of their role in planning for the life of their child and how this needs to changes in recognition of their importance in their child’s life.
Tusla are currently finalising a Strategic Plan for Foster Care 2022-2025. The ambition of this plan is to ensure that the Agency implements the recommendations, based on feedback from internal and external stakeholders, including Foster Carers, to promote a partnership approach and to ensure consistency in service provision, including those issues raised in the Deputy's correspondence.
Should the Deputy have any specific information in relation to areas that this may not be the practice or whereby specific foster carers are experiencing challenges in accessing care plans Tusla would welcome further information and the opportunity to address these inconsistencies.
In discharging its responsibilities, Tusla is committed to ensuring that policies, care planning practices and supports are applied in an equitable and consistent manner across all services, in order to ensure that children and young people in foster families receive the best possible level of care and support.
