Following the publication of the latest volume of reports from Child Care Law Reporting Project, Green Party Spokesperson for Children, Councillor Patrick Costello said the report clearly highlights that lack of funding and structural issues are undermining the hard work being done to protect children.
He said: “Many cases outlined showed funding difficulties and limited service capacity that directly impacted on the safety and welfare of children. This included a case where children at risk who later disclosed sexual abuse allegations could not come into care as there was a lack of foster carers.”
“That children were left at risk due to lack of foster workers in a serious issue. This does not reflect on the quality of the workers who identified the risk and tried to respond, but that response was hampered by a government failure to adequately resource foster care services to improve recruitment and retention.”
Other funding issues highlighted in the reports included the problems caused by inadequate aftercare supports, a child left without braces while the foster carers and the Child and Family Agency argue in the high court who should pay, arguments over funding for assessments, and the inability of the state to provide an ‘urgently required psychological assessment’ within 6 weeks.
Cllr. Costello further stated “Alongside funding concerns were structural problems in the courts and the social services. In one case the judge questioned the capacity of the district court to deal with such complex cases. That another case took 33 days over 18 weeks adds to this judges concern.”
The courts are a vital part of the child protection response, and for a long time they have been overburdened. Reform of the Child Care court proceeding alongside increased funding are needed to support the hard work done on the coal face by service users.
Further structural problems highlighted across the cases were the delays interviewing children in relation to sexual abuse and confusion relating to the role of Gardai Specialist interviewer, social workers and specialist treatment units.