‘Children lost in plain sight every day’, says Barnardos chief

Barnardos children’s charity has launched its new Lost Childhood campaign that puts the spotlight on the one in seven children experiencing homelessness, poverty or neglect.

“We need to shine a light on the experiences of these children, highlighting this injustice at a national level and demand real solutions,” said Barnardos chief executive Fergus Finlay.

The campaign features an interactive 360-degree Lost film to show how lots of people helped a terrified and panicked parent find her lost child in a public place.

“But what is society doing about the children lost in plain sight every day; those lost through no fault of their own to homelessness, to poverty and to neglect,” it asks.

Already, hundreds of people supporting the campaign have pledged to help change the lives of one in seven children for the better.

The online campaign challenges the Government to implement short-term practical steps and ensure children are given the political priority they deserve.

Mr Finlay said thousands of children were living in hotels or overcrowded accommodation without space they need to live, play and grow.

Thousands more lived in poverty or languished on waiting lists for essential health services, such as speech and language therapy and mental health services.

It was obvious that children and childhood were not a priority in Ireland, he said.

“How is this OK? How do we as a country think this is OK?” Mr Finlay asked.

“For too long children have not been a priority politically and childhood itself has not been valued as it should be — the most important time of a person’s life.”

Mr Finlay said the community had a responsibility to ensure every child could reach their potential.

“We invite you to join a community of individuals, parents, local policymakers, charities and organisations to work together to draw a line in the sand and demand change for these children,” he said.

Barnardos wants €6.6m spent on appointing 180 nurses to provide a dedicated child and family public nurse system. An investment of €20m this year would increase the availability of community and family-based support services.

Extending the early childhood care and education scheme for an additional year, opening it to all two-year-olds this year, would cost €200m.

Barnardos also proposes spending €20m this year on providing free books to all primary school children and a further €53m on primary healthcare teams.

And it wants a guarantee that no child spends more than six months in emergency accommodation and that 47,000 social housing units must be built.

Parent Claire Cahill said her son was diagnosed with scoliosis at two years but had to wait five years to get the treatment he needed.

“He’s been left with lifelong reduced lung capacity because of ongoing delays in getting vital surgery,” she said.