48 HEALTH MATTERS Foster care


GENERAL SUPPORT AND SERVICES While the majority of foster carers felt they were receiving adequate support and services to meet the needs of the children in their care, over a quarter (29 per cent) identified shortcomings in the access to professional services for young people in care, social worker support, information, aftercare, and psychological support for foster carers.


Current Issues of Concern for Foster Carers Foster carers involved in the survey were given the opportunity to identify areas of concern with regard to fostering. Seventy-two foster carers responded with a total of 193 comments. The most common issues identified related to general foster family support.


Access to Services The majority of concerns related to accessing services such as occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, psychology and counselling. Some foster carers stated that the waiting lists were too long, forcing them to access and fund these services privately. The funding of assessments and treatments from essential professional services by foster carers was considered inappropriate. There was a strong feeling that the ‘best interests of the children are not applied…’ and that there is an inappropriate onus and pressure on foster carers to advocate for the child’s needs and welfare at all times. There was a sense that the priority was on the initial placing and settling of the child and that, subsequently, it was very difficult to get adequate follow-up support.


Special Needs Of the foster carers who are presently or have in the past cared for children or young people with disabilities or special needs, some expressed anger and frustration at the inadequate support and services available to them, and difficulties accessing specialised equipment or therapeutic service was highlighted. One carer commented, “We received no additional help for the children with special needs,” while another described his sense of children with disabilities as “falling through the system.”


“of the foster carers who are presently or have in the past cared for children or young people with disabilities or special needs, some expressed anger and frustration at the inadequate support and services available.”


Some carers interviewed expressed frustration that responsibility was often passed to disability services and that they were unable to obtain clear answers or guidelines with respect to entitlement or services for children with special needs.


Aftercare


Serious concern was expressed by over a quarter (28 per cent) of those surveyed


with regard to the future welfare of the young people in their care. This concern was expressed predominately in relation to difficulties experienced in securing aftercare support and services for young people approaching 18 years of age. Foster carers highlighted the absence of aftercare plans and a sense of frustration and futility was expressed with regard to raising this issue with social workers or at review meetings. Foster carers identified pressures experienced trying to source appropriate third-level education for young people in order to secure aftercare funding, while also highlighting concerns regarding the uncertainty and insecurity that exists for young people who are not academically, socially or emotionally ready for third-level education or independent living. While the majority of carers with young people in this age group continued to provide a home for the young person involved, a minority expressed a sense of resentment and frustration at the expectation and presumption of the HSE that they would do so.


The survey highlighted the fundamental need for clarity and consistency for both young people and their foster families in relation to future care and support provision, in order to safeguard and


+ mrs justice Catherine mcguinness officially opening the new IFCA offices with Senator Camillus glynn, Alice Parkinson, Chairperson IFCA & Deirdre McTeigue, IFCA Director of Services.


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