Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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78. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of young adults engaging with the aftercare service; and the estimated number of children in care at 16 years of age identified as likely requiring the services of aftercare teams on turning 18 years of age in each of the years 2020 to 2022. [29937/19]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Each year, approximately 500 young people leave care on reaching 18 years of age. 

At the end of Q4 2018, the most recent date for which data has been published, there were a total of 2,496 young people receiving aftercare supports from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. 64% were in education or training, and 78% had an aftercare plan.

Of the young people who had been assessed as needing an allocated social worker, 92% have had one allocated. 

A new set of metrics have been developed by Tusla to reflect the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2015, and the revised Tusla Aftercare Policy. Reporting on the new metrics commenced in Q2 2018, and are available on Tusla's website.  The new data indicates that 393 referrals were reported for aftercare from Q2 to Q4 2018.

I have asked Tusla whether it is possible to provide the estimates in the format requested by the Deputy.