Vol. 547 No. 1
472 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to enable legislation to provide for continuation of foster allowance for physical and mentally disabled children who reached the legal age of 18 years and who continue to be fostered rather than returned to State institutions. [1069/02]
The payment of foster care allowance is legislated for under the Child Care Act, 1991, and governed by the Child Care (Placement of Children in Foster Care) Regulations, 1995, and the Child Care (Placement of Children with Relatives) Regulations, 1995. The provision of aftercare for a child who has reached the age of 18 is legislated for in section 45 of the Child Care Act, 1991, which states that a child may be assisted for so long as the board is satisfied as to his-her need for assistance provided that the child has not reached the age of 21. If the person has reached the age of 21 and is pursuing a course of education, the board may only continue to provide assistance until the completion of the course of education in which he-she is engaged.
The Act and the provisions therein do not take specific note of those placed in foster care who may have a disability. However, the working group on foster care report Foster Care – A Child Centred Partnership examined this area and made a number of recommendations in relation to the issue of children with a disability in foster care. These recommendations include three which relate directly to adults with disabilities. In relation to aftercare plans, the working group recommended that these plans should aim to ensure a seamless transition into the adult disability services. The working group recommended that appropriate financial assistance should be provided for carers who continue to care for adults with an intellectual disability who were in a long-term foster care arrangement. It also recommended that where an adult with a physical disability is highly dependent on his or her carers such financial support should be provided as part of the aftercare plan.
The Government has approved in principle the recommendations of the report. The provision of financial assistance for former foster children with disabilities who remain with their former foster carers is currently being examined by my Department with a view to identifying a mechanism which will enable the health boards to continue to support both the young adults in question and their foster families.
