Half of children in foster care unhappy with reviews

MORE than half of children in foster care are not happy with how their plights are reviewed, a survey published yesterday revealed.

The study recommended greater involvement of representatives, advocates and support workers for children when their cases come up for review and decisions are being made about their future.

Figures suggesting that 26% of children in foster care were dissatisfied with their care review and another 26% didn’t understand the process were contained in the report Having a Say in Care Reviews: A Study of Children in Foster Care, published by Athlone Institute of Technology.

The Ombudsman for Children Emily Logan launched the survey yesterday at the institute.

The study examined the extent to which children in care experience their right to be heard; a right which is guaranteed in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. For children in foster care, the review of their care plan is an important proceeding which directly affects the child’s life.

At the review, decisions are made about where the child will live, where the child will go to school and how many visits the child can have with their family.

Twenty-three children between the ages of nine and 17 were interviewed about their care review.

In comparison to Britain, it was found that a relatively high number — 65% — reported that they had a say in their review. However, only 48% were found to have been very satisfied with how their review went.

The findings led to a number of suggestions for improvements in care reviews. The most significant recommendation, according to co-author Dr Sheila McGree, was “to allow greater involvement of representatives, advocates and support persons for children who experience problems or who experience conflicts of opinion with other adults, as well as for children who may be nervous or who lack understanding”.

The authors also recommended changes to the review meeting to render it more child-friendly.