Ms Catherine Bond:

On behalf of the Irish Foster Care Association, IFCA, I thank the committee for the invitation to address it. My name is Catherine Bond and I am the chief executive officer of the Irish Foster Care Association. I have over 30 years of professional experience working in the area of children and families. I am accompanied by Ms Breda O'Donovan, director of finance, HR and communications, IFCA. Ms O'Donovan has worked with IFCA for over 15 years and was a foster carer for many years.

I do not propose to read through all of the information on the Irish Foster Care Association, IFCA, and fostering in Ireland as this information has been provided in our full opening statement. In the interests of saving time, I will give a brief overview of what we do and then I will move quickly on to the issues and challenges in foster care today.

The IFCA is the representative body for foster care in Ireland and promotes excellence in foster care. It has 1,600 members comprised of foster families, social workers, social care workers, academics and those with an interest in foster care. The IFCA advocates for excellence in foster care and services to members include advocacy, a national support helpline, learning and development and support to members involved in local branches and regions.

Foster care is the backbone of care for children who are in the care of the State in Ireland. We need to celebrate the fact that the majority of these children are growing up as happy, confident young people who attend school every day. Indeed, some will be focusing on the upcoming State exams in the coming weeks. Children in foster care are thriving and foster families are offering secure, happy and fulfilling childhoods to children, supporting them to reach their full potential in life.

Our national support helpline, which offers callers information and support, is the pulse in terms of issues which impact on foster carers as well as social workers and others involved in foster care. The national standards for foster care set out a range of standards to be attained for the child, the foster carer and Tusla. Specifically, there is a requirement for the child to have a dedicated social worker who is responsible for the safety and welfare of the child. There is also a requirement for the foster carer to have a dedicated link social worker who provides support to the foster carer. In March 2017 approximately 6 % of children in general foster care and 8% of children in relative care did not have a dedicated social worker. This equates to over 400 children. At the end of 2016, 18% of general foster carers and 20% of relative foster carers did not have a link social worker. It is critical that this situation is addressed.

Foster care is complex and involves many stakeholders. The IFCA’s national support helpline statistics frequently cite poor communication as an underlying factor in the relationships involved. Foster carers often express a lack of respect for the role which they offer. It is critical for proactive, respectful and trusting relationships to be fostered, promoted and maintained. The majority of children in the care of the State, many of whom have experienced traumatic early life events, reside with foster carers who offer stability and consistency to them. It is also critical to have a robust infrastructure which supports foster care. The IFCA advocates for the development of policies and procedures which underpin the work of Tusla and to provide a consistent approach to all aspects of foster care. The IFCA is aware that Tusla has commenced a review and redevelopment of policies to inform practice in foster care and welcomes this. It is critical that when policies are developed that they are disseminated throughout Tusla fostering teams, that staff are trained in the understanding and implementation of those policies and that regular monitoring and reviews of implementation are conducted.

The IFCA welcomes the announcement by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Zappone, of the introduction of the provision of after care plans for every child preparing for adulthood while in care. The IFCA made a comprehensive submission to Tusla on the development of the after care policy and welcomes its implementation. Many children who grow up in foster care continue to live with their foster care family. Foster carers will require additional supports, for example, a carer's allowance where the young person remains living with them and who may not attain complete independence in adult life as a result of complex emotional or social needs. One way to prevent homelessness among this group of vulnerable adults is to offer a financial incentive to foster carers to modify or build living accommodation where a young adult can live independently, but with the safety net of the wider foster family surrounding him or her, as is normal in many households across Ireland.

During 2016, a predominant theme coming through on our national helpline was the handling by Tusla of allegations of abuse made against foster carers. There were inconsistencies in the way such allegations were handled and the time it took to complete investigations was far too long. Research indicates that allegations can be made against any foster carer. This is a distressing event for everyone involved - the child, the foster carer, the foster carer’s own children and the birth family. It is therefore essential that the process is open and fair and underpinned by the rules of natural justice. For many years the IFCA has advocated for one national policy in responding to allegations made against foster carers and welcomes the publication of the policy in May 2017. It is vital that this new policy is implemented consistently across all Tusla areas, that social workers are trained in its implementation and that there is continuous assessment of its implementation.

Research indicates that prior to the making of an allegation of abuse against a foster carer by a child, the foster carer noted increased behavioural problems and many requested respite support prior to the allegation being made. Similar circumstances occur prior to placement breakdowns. Responses to such requests are not always provided but it is critical that foster carers receive timely supports by social workers and other professionals when they seek such support. They know the child, are aware when behaviour changes and when a timely intervention, such as a time away during the day or a short respite will alleviate the tension within the placement. Foster carers must have access to ongoing support, information and training and the IFCA plays a central role in this within the confines of its budget.

The recent development of placing children with foster carers long distances from their place of birth has introduced a new paradigm into foster care. The placement of children great distances from their home of origin requires foster carers to travel long distances to support access arrangements. The shortage of social workers has also resulted in foster carers being requested to supervise access arrangements which is not part of the foster carer’s role. The IFCA has highlighted the inappropriateness of such requests with Tusla.

The IFCA welcomes this opportunity to share its knowledge and experience of foster care in Ireland with the committee. We believe that focus on the following areas will assist in supporting all of those involved in foster care in Ireland: policies and procedures which are developed, fully implemented and monitored; timely supports to foster carers to enable them to care for children with very complex problems, on behalf of the State; and the allocation of dedicated social workers for all children in care and the allocation of link social workers to foster carers. We would also suggest that the IFCA's national support service be enhanced to offer longer opening hours and a wider range of supports to foster carers.