Child aftercare law a ‘hollow guarantee’

The Government’s new national aftercare policy for vulnerable young people leaving state care does not have the resources to be implemented and the Child Care Act is a “hollow guarantee” for this group, child protection experts have warned.

Announced earlier this year by Frances Fitzgerald, the children’s minister, the HSE has committed to the implementation of the policy, which seeks to support young people leaving care.

However, Geoffrey Shannon, a child law expert at Focus Ireland and Epic (Empowering Young People in Care), maintains that, in reality, it is not much more than what the previous government offered, as aftercare is still not a legal right for young people in care who turn 18.