Ms Catherine Bond:

Under the Child Care Act the social worker, being the corporate parent of the child, offers all consents. That might involve a school outing or holidays with the foster family.

There is a lot of red tape involved. It could be beneficial to revisit the enhanced rights which were part of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2007. A child who is doing well and is in a stable placement is most likely to stay with that family for his or her entire life. Many members of the Irish Foster Care Association, IFCA, have children who came to them as babies and are now with them into adulthood and beyond. They are not going anywhere. It regularises life for the child and the family.