Families have to 'fight the system' to secure services

Children’s rights groups have warned that many families still have to “fight the system” every day to secure adequate services, just as the foster carers of a girl abandoned at birth vied to get the full range of supports she needed.

A report by the Ombudsman for Children on the struggles faced by the carers of Molly, a teenager with Down syndrome and severe autism, highlighted the sometimes fragmented approach to her care by Tusla and the Health Service Executive, resulting in a case-by-case battle to secure and then maintain services for her.

The report highlighted a lack of co-ordination between the HSE and Tusla, with Ombudsman Niall Muldoon recommending the HSE immediately devise a respite action plan for all children with a disability.