Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 146: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of children who have left the care of the State in each of the past five years; and the number of persons in receipt of aftercare services for each of the past five years. [32626/11]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The HSE compiles monthly performance reports which provide an overall analysis of key performance data from finance, HR, hospital and primary and community services. These reports include a range of statistics in relation to children in care. A new performance indicator was introduced in 2011 to collect information on the number of young adults aged 18-21 years in receipt of an aftercare service. Collection of this data commenced in the third quarter of 2011 and validated data should be available shortly. I wish to advise the Deputy that the HSE has not to date routinely collected national data in respect of children who leave the care of the state each year. The data currently available on a national basis sets out the number of children in care and their placement type. Children leave the care of the State on reaching their 18th birthday. However many remain in their foster care placement as an aftercare arrangement. Children may also leave care at an earlier age to return home or, in exceptional circumstances due to being adopted. Some children may be in care for a very short period.

I have however requested my Department to seek information from the HSE on children who have left care this year. I will provide the Deputy with further information as it becomes available.

Since taking office I have prioritised the need to improve access to timely and accurate data on our child and family services. The availability of reliable data is of critical importance to inform the management, resource allocation and further development of our child and family services.

An important element of this is the establishment by the HSE of a National Child Care Information System (NCCIS), to operate as the central system to support Social Work services and will record and store the case history of every child in care. The procurement of this system is at the pre tender stage.

The National Child Care Information System will include for the regular collection of national data in respect of children who leave the care of the state each year.

The HSE commissioned an independent external consultant to undertake a review of the capacity for alternative care services, including aftercare services. The audit date for the data was 13 March 2011 and based on this audit the HSE has informed me that a total of 1,051 young people were in receipt of aftercare nationally at March 2011. The breakdown between male and female was 46% and 54% respectively. I am further advised by the HSE that the number of young people who began to receive aftercare in 2008 and 2009 was 979 and 847 respectively. Section 45 of the Child Care Act 1991 places a statutory duty on the HSE to form a view in relation to each person leaving care as to whether there is a "need for assistance" and, if it forms such a view, to provide services in accordance with the legislation and subject to resources. All young people who have had a care history with the HSE, be it foster care, residential care or high support, are entitled to an Aftercare Service based on their assessed needs. The core eligible age range for aftercare is 18 years and up to 21 years. This can be extended until the completion of a course of education in which he/she is engaged up to the age of 23 years of age.

Aftercare provision incorporates advice, guidance and practical support. An individual holistic needs assessment identifies a young persons need for accommodation, financial support, social network support and training and education. One of the key features of Aftercare support is to advocate on behalf of young people to promote their development as a fulfilled adult in their community. The most important requirements for young people leaving care are for secure, suitable accommodation as well as further education, employment or training.

The HSE National Aftercare Service is underpinned by a National Policy and Procedures Document which has been developed in cooperation with the key stakeholders including the voluntary sector agencies involved in Aftercare provision and my Department. The policy commits to promoting and achieving the best outcomes for young people leaving care and in ensuring consistency of support to these young people.

The HSE National Policy on Aftercare is being rolled out nationally under the watch of the HSE's Aftercare Implementation Group, which includes representation from the HSE, mental health, family service and disability service, as well as representation from the voluntary sector and a young persons representative from Empowering People in Care (EPIC).

I am very much aware of the challenges facing the aftercare service, the need for information required to plan the services; the need for consistency across all areas; the need to follow up with young people who may at first reject its services and the need to link in with adult services as necessary. To accommodate such challenges funding was provided in 2011 to support the recruitment of ten additional aftercare workers. Additionally funding was provided to EPIC to develop a national advocacy and support service for young people in care, leaving care and aftercare.