Press Release
Friday 31st January 2020
EPICs Manifesto for the next Government 2020
6 ways to stop failing children and young people in state care #GE2020
EPIC- Empowering People in Care calls on all the next government to remember children and young adults in the care system. We are calling for:
1. The Right to Independent Advocacy: All children in care and with experience of care should have a right to independent advocacy. The right to independent advocacy for all children and young adults in the care system must be enshrined in legislation. The current review of the Child Care Act 1991 presents the optimal time for this.
2. Extend the age limit for Aftercare: EPIC calls for a full review of the Aftercare system including the extension of the upper age limit for aftercare support to 26 years of age.
3. Improve Data: Increase data collated and published on children in care and include a longitudinal study on children in care into adulthood. Data on educational outcomes for children in care from primary, secondary, post leaving cert and 3rd level education is essential. This data should be benchmarked against children and young people in the general population to see where additional supports are needed to improve outcomes of children in care and beyond.
4. Improve Mental Health support: All children and young adults in care must be provided with a variety of dedicated mental health supports, including therapeutic support, to enable them to deal with their experience of trauma and to help them to build appropriate coping skills and resilience. The State must provide all necessary supports and interventions within the state and immediately stop sending children and young people outside of this jurisdiction for specialist care. Dual supports to encompass addiction and mental health must be rolled out.
5. Recruit and retain more Social Workers: A national social work recruitment and retention action plan and roll out is required. We need more social workers and better supports for them. There should be better and more contact between children in care and their social worker, but this can only be achieved if social workers have a less onerous case load. We call for a minimum of 150 additional social workers to be recruited to commence work in 2020 and a further 100 in 2021. This would be a reasonable response to alleviating the current strain on social workers which is causing so many resulting in so many leaving the system.
6. Children should not move from care to homelessness: No child leaving care should have to access homeless accommodation. EPIC is part of the Irish Coalition to End Youth Homelessness and supports their action points. Step down and supported accommodation for care leavers and vulnerable young people must form part of any housing plan.
Terry Dignan, CEO of EPIC, said:
“This General Election will provide an opportunity for any new government to show a commitment to addressing urgent issues facing children and young adults in state care. We are calling on the next government, and in particular those Ministers with specific responsibilities, to place a far higher priority on children and young adults in state care than previous governments have. As one of the most vulnerable and marginalised groups of children and young people in our state, it is imperative to ensure that they receive all necessary supports to ensure they are cherished to enjoy a fulfilling childhood and realise their full potential.
The issues we have highlighted here will, we believe, go some way to ensuring this becomes a reality, and that all those working in the care system can work to ensure better outcomes for every child and young adult”
ENDS
Media Enquiries:
Contact: Terry Dignan, CEO (01 8727661 or 087 2370269)
Notes to Editor:
Young People in Care in Ireland: https://www.tusla.ie/data-figures/
Irish Coalition to End Youth Homelessness: https://www.endyouthhomelessness.ie/who-we- are/
About EPIC:
EPIC is a national voluntary organisation that works with and for children and young people who are currently living in care or who have experience of living in care. This includes those in residential care, foster care, relative care, hostel, high support and special care. EPIC also works with young people preparing to leave care and those in aftercare. EPIC’s National Advocacy and Participation programmes are designed to ensure children and young adults in care have a voice and are listened to on issues affecting their lives. EPIC is a national service with offices in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway. www.epiconline.ie