Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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703. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the analysis conducted in relation to the impact of requiring young persons to leave their foster care placements upon reaching 18 years of age; his plans to amend the scheme, given that most young persons of that age require ongoing support from their families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30979/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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It is now widely accepted that young people leaving State care face a unique set of challenges and present, in some instances, with particular vulnerabilities. It is this recognition that underpins both the current aftercare provision as well as the forthcoming Aftercare Bill. Such awareness has been due to analyses of a range of reports, both State sanctioned and from a range of advocates for young people in and leaving care, and also as a result of my own Department’s direct communication and research undertaken with young people in State care.

Aftercare is a term used to describe the planning and support put in place to meet the needs of a young person who is leaving statutory care at 18 years of age, to assist him/her in making the transition to independent living. It is essential that all young people leaving care are provided with the type of transitional support that their individual situation requires. Aftercare is available to all those eligible irrespective of which care sector they have been in i.e. foster care or residential care.

The Child Care Act 1991 provides that the core eligible age range for aftercare is from 18 years up to 21 years. This can be extended until the completion of a course of education and training in which a young person who has left care, or is leaving care, is engaged, up to the age of 23 years.

Section 45 of the Child Care Act 1991 provides that the Child and Family Agency may assist a child leaving its care if it is satisfied that the person has a “need for assistance”. The provisions have been interpreted and applied on the basis that young people who have had a care history with the Agency are entitled to an assessment of need, from which an aftercare plan may be prepared and an aftercare service may be offered (based on the assessed needs).

Current aftercare provision incorporates advice, guidance and practical (including accommodation and financial) support. Advocating on behalf of young people to support their development as fulfilled adults in their community and, when necessary, to link them to targeted adult services, are also crucial elements of an aftercare service.

Between 450 and 500 young people leave care annually upon turning 18. According to Tusla - the Child and Family Agency, at the end of March, 2015, there were 1,720 young people aged 18 to 22 years inclusive in receipt of an aftercare service. Of those, 1,012 (59%) were in full time education.

A significant number of these young people are supported financially to remain living with their foster carers, in addition to having access to an aftercare worker. The most vulnerable group of young people are those leaving residential care or short term foster care placements. Children, who come into care late, in their mid to late teens, may not have developed the relationships with staff or aftercare workers that help them achieve good outcomes.

Young people who do not have family support from a foster carer or family base are assisted in finding accommodation in supported lodgings, sheltered housing or independent accommodation and encouraged and supported financially in furthering their training and education.

Furthermore, as the Deputy is aware, it has been decided to strengthen the legislative provisions regarding aftercare. This is in response to concerns that there was insufficient focus in this area and that such planning was not taking place on a properly structured and consistent basis. The approach adopted is to impose a statutory duty on the Child and Family Agency to prepare an aftercare plan for an eligible child or eligible young person. The aim is to create an explicit, as opposed to implicit, statement of the Agency’s duty to satisfy itself as to the child’s or young person’s need for assistance by preparing a plan that identifies those needs for aftercare supports.

It is anticipated that the Aftercare Bill will be published shortly.