Written answers

Tuesday, 5 March 2019

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Oireachtas Joint Committee Recommendations

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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491. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the value for money review of the use of private foster care companies recommended by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs in 2017 has been concluded; and if so, if a copy of the findings will be published. [10352/19]

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent)
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492. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the implementation of the 2017 recommendation by the Oireachtas Joint Committee for Children and Youth Affairs that funds be diverted away from private foster care companies and into the recruitment of foster carers and social workers in order that the same work can be done by Tusla; and the sum that has been redirected to date. [10353/19]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 491 and 492 together.

Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has a statutory responsibility to provide alternative care services, including foster care services, under the provisions of the Child Care Act, 1991, the Children Act, 2001, and the Child Care (Amendment) Act, 2007. The majority of alternative care services are provided directly by Tusla.

When a child comes into care the most important issue for Tusla is identifying a foster carer who can meet the unique needs of that child. This can result in a child being placed with a foster carer from a non-statutory fostering service, where this is in their best interests. The majority of foster carers in Ireland, 89% or 3,851, are recruited, assessed and supported by Tusla. There are currently 5,554 children in foster care in Ireland, of which 10% are placed with non-statutory foster care agencies. It should be noted that Tusla's local fostering committees are the approval body for all foster care placements, including those recruited by private foster care companies. Children placed with private foster care companies are allocated a Tusla social worker.

Tusla utilises the services of private providers for different reasons. In some Tusla areas there may be a shortage of foster carers for demographic reasons, or there may be a need for specialist services to meet the needs of an individual child. These factors can result in the need to source foster placements from private fostering agencies.

In my formal response to the Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the publication of the report on foster care, I noted that Tusla is carrying out a procurement exercise to ensure that the private foster care services have been procured in accordance with procurement objectives, which incorporate value for money as well as service quality objectives. 

In 2018 a procurement process was initiated to ensure that the commissioning of the service was in line with financial regulations and represented best value for money. The process, however, failed to deliver any providers. Tusla has initiated a new tendering process for private foster care overall, including provision of a link worker, supervision of staff etc. 

It is recognised by Tusla that best value will lie in the ability of the Agency to recruit foster carers in suitable locations with the appropriate capacity to care for the small number of children not currently fostered within the statutory provision.

Recruitment of foster carers is an ongoing and prioritised activity within the Agency. This work is resourced by Tusla and includes funding fostering services in 17 Tusla areas, funding of recruitment material (such as leaflets, posters) and also media campaigns (radio, newspaper advertisements). In 2018, work was carried out to review this recruitment activity nationally, and to ensure that future recruitment is evidence informed about what works best in identifying potential foster carers. To further enhance this work, four additional posts are being funded, in addition to existing fostering resources, to support the recruitment of foster carers.  A national working group has also been established to review all recruitment activity across the country, to ensure all efforts are being taken to recruit a diverse range of foster carers to meet the diverse range of needs for children requiring foster care.

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