Chris Flood
Ceist:39 Mr. Flood asked the Minister for Health the initiatives, if any, being taken to meet the needs of the young homeless; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7883/97]
Written Answers. - Care of Young Homeless.
Limerick East): As I have previously mentioned in the House the extent and nature of the problem of homeless children varies between health boards and between community care areas. It is recognised across the health boards that an integrated range of measures is necessary in order to deal with the problem including early childhood intervention to prevent children at risk from becoming homeless, greater provision of services for families and young people in the community, the provision of suitable and varied accommodation and back-up services for the young homeless and accommodation and support services for children leaving care.
In this regard, health boards are at present undertaking a series of initiatives to address the problem locally and the responses are drawn up with due regard to the particular nature of the problem in the area. The problem is most acute in the Eastern Health Board region. Services introduced by the board to tackle the problem include an emergency short-term residential unit for 12 to 18 year old homeless children opened early in 1996.
Supported lodgings are being developed in all community care areas. There are now 87 approved supported lodging places for adolescents who are out of home. This initiative helps to maintain young people in their area of home origin. The lodgings provide an element of independence to young people but provide support at the same time. This very successful new scheme supported a total of 145 young people in 1996 and provided a total of 17,733 bed nights. A number of hostels provide care for young people who are out of home. An additional adolescent residential unit, under the management of the crisis intervention service is at an advanced stage of development.
The board has assigned additional social workers to its out of hours service. In addition a number of out of hours foster parents are currently being recruited and assessed. They will be available throughout the night to the out of hours service where young people require emergency placement. The board also operates a day project which offers care, welfare and recreation support to approximately ten young people who are considered to be at risk during day time.
An emergency carers project is also in operation in the region. During 1996, 20 foster families were approved specifically for short-term/emergency placements. It is planned to continue to expand the pool of out of hours foster homes in addition to emergency cover placements and supported lodgings.
Initiatives introduced in other health boards to meet the needs of the young homeless include: crisis, short and medium term accommodation, supported lodgings and supervised accommodation; youth projects and day projects for children who would otherwise be roaming the streets; social work services, child care and family support services all aimed at preventing young people becoming homeless. Since 1993 over £40 million has been provided to develop services under the Child Care Act, 1991. The further development of services to meet the needs of the young homeless will continue to be a priority in the context of child care service developments for 1997.