Major failings in foster care services

Child protection groups are deeply concerned by practices which show some of Tusla’s foster care services are falling short of basic state standards.

Their fears came as a series of Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) inspections found major non-compliances with national standards in foster care services operated by Tusla in the Dublin South Central, Dublin North City, and Cavan/Monaghan areas.

In Dublin South Central, a region with 236 foster care households, 132 general carers, and 104 relative foster carers, Hiqa found the service operated by Tusla was in major non-compliance in relation to six standards. It was compliant in just one of the standards examined.