Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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606. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to introduce an enhanced support payment for children in care with disabilities. [12117/19]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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607. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there has been an engagement between the Department of Health and her Department on formulating a national policy to support children in care with a disability. [12118/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 606 and 607 together.

There are existing national policies to support children in care with a disability.

Under Tusla’s National Policy on Financial Payments in Foster Care, Aftercare and Supported Lodgings, an enhanced foster care allowance may be payable to foster carers in certain circumstances. A maximum of twice the weekly allowance may be paid in respect of children aged up to 18 years if they require significant care over and above the needs of other children in foster care. This includes children who have been diagnosed with significant special needs and require a high level of personal care and supervision.

Foster care allowances are payable for the benefit of the foster child and therefore must be used to meet the day to day costs associated with looking after the foster child. In considering any enhanced allowance the social worker must show that the standard fostering allowance does not adequately provide for the cost of caring for the child.

In general terms, disability services are provided by the HSE, and the eligibility of children, including children with a disability, to relevant supports and services is determined on the basis of clinical need.

Tusla and my Department are aware that children in care with a disability may face specific challenges. The Joint Protocol for Interagency Collaboration between the Health Service Executive and Tusla, agreed by the two agencies, is designed to address such matters.

This protocol clarifies how children in care access HSE-funded disability-related services, setting out the respective roles and duties of the relevant agencies, as well as the arrangements in place when children in care reach 18 years of age. While the Protocol is managed at a local level in the first instance, it provides a clear escalation process should an issue arise, or if there is an unresolved matter around access to appropriate services.

The Protocol’s development came on foot of intensive and productive engagement at the highest level between the HSE, Tusla, my Department, and the Department of Health. My officials are continuing to work closely with Department of Health colleagues regarding young people in care transitioning to HSE Disability Services placements upon turning 18, in order to effect a sustainable transition mechanism.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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610. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her Department or agencies under her remit have developed performance metrics to monitor and measure the outcomes of children in care with disabilities. [12121/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I can advise the Deputy that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency collects data for each child in its care, on the National Child Care Information System (NCCIS). Information gathered includes data on the child's individual needs, including disabilities and supports that may be required to meet those needs. The data is collected for the purposes of care planning, and not collated centrally for reporting purposes at this time.

Tusla also collects point-in-time data on children with disabilities each year. The data collected consists of the number of children in care on the last day of September, who have received a diagnosis of moderate to severe disability by a clinical specialist, i.e. registered general medical practitioner, psychiatrist or other appropriately qualified clinical specialist (e.g. paediatrician). This census is taken by care type.

The data collected reflects only children in the statutory care of the Child and Family Agency. Tusla does not gather data on children living in disability services who are not in statutory care.

My officials are currently working with Tusla staff to further develop the range and scope of performance metrics used in relation to children in care.