Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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427. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if Tusla carry out assessments on potential short-term foster carers solely for weekend respite or emergency placements for foster children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38343/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I can confirm that Tusla undertakes assessments on all potential general foster care applicants regardless of whether they are short term, emergency carers or long term foster carers.  The assessment process provides a framework to enable assessing social workers make recommendations in relation to their suitability to foster.  The requirement for assessment and approval is set out in legislation for foster care.

The Child Care Act 1991, part IV, section 36 (1) legislates for the accommodation and maintenance of children in care. It states:

Where a child is in the care of a health board, the health board shall provide such care for him, subject to its control and supervision, in such of the following ways as it considers to be in his best interests-

by placing him with a foster parent

by placing him in a residential centre

where a child is eligible for adoption by placing him with a suitable person with a view to adoption by making such other suitable arrangements (which may include placing the child with a relative) as the health board thinks proper.

The Child Care (Placement of Children in Foster Care) Regulations 1995 stipulate that all children who require foster care are placed with persons chosen from a panel of persons who are willing to act as foster parents. They set out conditions to be met to be placed on such a panel which include:A written assessment of their suitability, having been considered by a foster care committee who are satisfied that they are suitable persons to act as foster parents.

These regulations further charge TUSLA with responsibility for matching children with foster carers chosen for their capacity to meet children’s assessed needs. These needs are identified as encompassing the children’s emotional, psychological, medical, educational, physical care, identity, ethnicity, religious, safety and security needs. 

The National Standards for Foster Care (2003) 14(a) require that foster care applicants participate in a comprehensive assessment of their ability to carry out the fostering task and are formally approved prior to any child or young person being placed with them.

Standard 23 of The National Standards for Foster Care (2003) stipulates that foster care committees recommend whether or not to place applicants’ names on their panel of approved foster carers.

This task is underlined in the HSE National Policy, Procedures and Best Practice Guidance for HSE Foster Care Committees, 2012 which sets out the criteria for acceptance of foster care applicants.

The only exception to the assessment process relates to the emergency placement of children in care with relatives.  In these circumstances children can be placed with relatives without an assessment having taken place.This is governed by the Child Care (Placement of Children with Relatives) Regulations 1995, article 6 (1):

Where a health board is satisfied that the immediate placement of a child in its care with his or her relatives is in the interests of the child, the board my, notwithstanding that one or more of the provision of article 5 of these Regulations have not been complied with in relation to the relative place the child with those relatives provided the board is of the option after having caused-(a) the relatives to be interviewed and their home to be visited by an authorised person and

(b) such other enquiries as are practicable to be made in the particular circumstances of the case that the relatives are suitable persons to take care of the child on behalf of the board.

An assessment process will commence with the potential relative foster carers following the placement of the child in these emergency circumstances.

I hope this information clarifies the current position in relation to the  assessment of foster carers.