Health boards advertise for carers

CASH-STRAPPED health boards are being forced to advertise for professional foster carers to look after some of the country’s most vulnerable children.

They urgently need up to 1,000 more foster carers so children get appropriate care.

Advertising in the national press is seen as a more cost-effective and successful way of dealing with trouble children rather than putting them into residential care as they await a suitable home.

Up to 4,000 children are in State care at any one time. As many as 3,600 of these are in foster care. The remainder are in supported lodgings, community homes or in residential care.

A spokesperson for the South Western Area Health Board said advertising for professional carers is becoming more the norm, particularly where children with difficult backgrounds are concerned.

Last week, the board placed adverts in the national press, looking for professional carers for ‘Mark’, a seven year old who is described as having a mischievous expression, extremely affectionate but who is also very impulsive. His behaviour can be challenging for adults, the advert continues.

“We and other boards advertise regularly enough. We do manage to recruit locally most of the time. But sometimes we have to advertise, when a particular child needs special help and can’t be facilitated locally,” said a spokesperson.

While most families volunteer for the benefit of the child rather than the carer’s allowance, greater family supports for those who take on children with special needs or who are trying to cope with their own problem children at home are urgently required.

The Irish Foster Care Association said the pool of foster families is getting increasingly smaller and it is proving more and more difficult to find suitable homes for needy children.

Children end up in foster care for a number of reasons. Some have suffered abuse, more are there because of poor parenting but most are in foster care because of neglect, according to Irish Foster Care Association National co-ordinator, Pat Whelan.

“Foster families are being overloaded. Foster parents typically find it hard to say no when we go to them looking for homes for children. We should have a choice of families when we are looking for care for children.

“But we are finding that it is now a struggle even to find them a home. Another 1,000 families would allow us give children that choice. It would also relieve the pressure and give greater choice to families and health boards when placing these children,” Ms Whelan added.

Married couples or single people who want to foster a child should contact the Irish Foster Care Association on [phone], or their local health board.