Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 October 2016
675. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way in which Tusla is achieving comprehensive care planning, effective matching and adequate supports to maintain placements while children and young persons are in care. [30907/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraRegulations govern the placement of children in care which provide, inter alia, for the welfare of the child, the care practices, care records, accommodation and safety precautions. Under the Child Care Regulations, 1995 a care plan for each child who is received into care is required. The regulations stipulate that all care plans are to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis and sets out the frequency for these reviews to take place. A review of the care planned for a child under the Child Care Act 1991, as amended, is a process to monitor and review the progress of the plan and to update it, if required. A key consideration for the social worker is to consult with the child, family members, foster carers, and other people involved with the child to ensure that his or her needs are being met and that the care being provided is optimal.
Children, depending on their identified need, may be placed in foster care either with relatives or general foster carers, residential care, special care or other placement types. The majority of children are placed in long term stable placements. Matching carers with children and young people is outlined in the National Standards for Foster Care (2003), and the National Standards for Children’s Residential Centres (2001) outlines the need for suitable placements in residential care.
The latest figures from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, indicate that, in July 2016, there were 6,372 children in care. Of these, over 93% are in foster care, either with relatives or a general foster placement. Of all children in care, 95% (6,036) have an allocated social worker and 91% (5,796) have a written care plan. It is known that outcomes for children in care are better when there is evidence of a careful assessment, thoughtful planning and proactive case management. All decisions made, and support provided, for children in care must be grounded in a high-quality assessment of their needs and potential risk of harm. Matching appropriate placements is key, and is achieved by the sharing of information and discussion involving all relevant professionals, the children and their families (where appropriate), and the proposed foster carers or residential centres, their families and other children in the placements.
The increased budget for Tusla for 2017 should further assist Tusla in its plan to ensure all children in care have an allocated social worker, as well as an increase in the number of up to date written care plans.
