Ms Brenda Kneafsey:

I have been working in advocacy for over 15 years but this is the first time I have come across a situation where a parent and child are put in a foster placement together. One of the things that struck me about it was that, initially, the option of a placement in another service like Bessborough or somewhere similar that would be suitable was explored. However, this was not deemed suitable. What happens is they assess the position of a parent with a child being put in a foster placement. This provides the benefit of the best interests of the child who needs to be cared for, but it also allows the parent the opportunity to be with their child. I am always conscious of what might happen next if anything goes wrong with a placement. It is the innovation of trying something to keep the two together that matters. A key part of this is mom's willingness to participate in that situation, because the placement is not with a relative, it is with a stranger. The mother's willingness is commendable in this situation, in that she is willing to go into an arrangement where her child is voluntarily in care and she is living with them.

In the context of replicating the initiative, we are struggling to get enough foster carers. It would be lovely to see this built upon, but given the demands we already have on foster care, it would need to be piloted across the country in order to see its effectiveness and assess whether it could be rolled out. In this situation, it is an innovation rather than the norm. For moms who recognise that there is an issue and are looking at how to address it, the initiative may work. It may not work for parents who do not see that there is an issue or who are struggling with their relationship with Tusla. For those, it could be more difficult. An opportunity for it to happen across the country would be good. All of these things tend to happen in small pockets, so you only hear about them in dribs and drabs, unfortunately.