Written answers

Tuesday, 17 October 2017

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Children in Care

Photo of Tommy BroughanTommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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61. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the additional resources her Department has provided to support aftercare plans for children leaving State care at 18 years of age from 1 September 2017; her plans to enhance this provision in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43423/17]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Deputy will be aware that from 1 September 2017, children leaving state care upon reaching the age of 18 have a statutory right to an aftercare plan to identify any future supports they may require.

The transition to independent adulthood can be particularly challenging for children and young people in care. Tusla had advocated for this important change to assist young people in making the transition from a young person in care to adult life, and to ensure consistency of support to these young people/ young adults in aftercare from 18 years and up to 21 years of age. This may be extended to 23 if a young adult is in full time education or accredited training.

Planning a young person’s new independent living needs to begin years prior to leaving care and continue as part of the care planning process. This preparatory work is facilitated by a social worker in Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and is based on collaboration with the young person, their carers and partner agencies. Resources, including aftercare workers, have been put in place to ensure this happens before a child leaves care.

Arising from Budget 2018, Tusla will receive an additional €40.6 million euro in funding that will bring its allocation to over €753 million euro in 2018.

I will shortly be issuing Tusla with its 2018 Performance Statement in line with the provisions of the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013. Tusla will, in response to the Performance Statement, prepare a Business Plan for 2018 which will be submitted to me for consideration. The precise level of funding to be allocated to support aftercare plans will be considered by Tusla, in preparing its Business Plan, having regard to the overall level of funding available in 2018, which will exceed €753 million euro.

It is not my intention to prescribe the overall level of funding to be allocated by Tusla to support aftercare plans. It is more appropriate, in my view, that Tusla first sets out its proposals for this important service area, having regard to its statutory remit and taking account of the totality of funding available next year.

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