Child and Family Agency Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 December 2017

Thursday, 7 December 2017

Ceisteanna (217, 218, 219, 220, 224, 225)

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

217. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in foster care without a social care worker. [52344/17]

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

218. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in relative care without a social care worker. [52345/17]

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

219. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in foster care without a link worker. [52346/17]

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

220. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children in relative care without a link worker. [52347/17]

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

224. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that are in private foster care. [52351/17]

Anne Rabbitte

Ceist:

225. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children that are in Tusla foster care. [52352/17]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children and Youth Affairs

I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 to 220, inclusive, 224 and 225 together.

Under the National Standards for Foster Care, all children living in foster care should be allocated a social worker.

Tusla has informed me that as of the end of September 2017, 95% of children in general foster care had an allocated a social worker, and 93% of children in relative foster care had an allocated social worker.

Tusla have assured me that a social worker is always allocated in the following circumstances:

- When children are in care less than 6 months.

- When children are preparing to leave care.

When children have a disability, a mental health issue or challenging behaviour.

- When children are unaccompanied and seeking asylum.

- When a child's placement is deemed to be unstable.

If a child has not been allocated a social worker, their needs are reviewed regularly by the principal social worker, and all urgent and emergency cases notified to Tusla are dealt with immediately.

As of the end of September 2017, the latest data available, there were 6,231 children in care. Of these, 5,354 children were in statutory Tusla foster care, and 375 children were in private foster care placements.

The National Standards also state that approved foster carers are supervised by a professionally qualified link social worker. This person ensures that foster carers have access to information, advise and professional support necessary to enable them to provide high quality care.

At the end of the second quarter of 2017, the latest data available in relation to link social workers indicates that 2,513 approved general foster carers had an allocated link social worker and 294 were awaiting allocation. Data also indicates that 1,020 approved relative foster carers had an allocated link social worker, and 159 were awaiting allocation. There were 311 unapproved relative foster carers and 87% (271) of them had a child placed with them for longer than 12 weeks. Of these 271 unapproved relative foster carers, 70% (190) had an allocated link social worker.