Government launches biggest ever research project into lives of care leavers

Minister for Children, Disability, Equality and Integration Roderic O'Gorman is prioritising research to understand the lives of children in care and adults who were in care.

The largest ever examination of the lives of children in care and adults who spent time in care as children is being launched by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

The research will be the most comprehensive ever undertaken and will hear from children about their pathways through the care system, and examine the long term outcomes for people who have left care over a 10-year period, tracking their journey to adulthood.

It will also develop the capacity of Tusla’s case management system, the National Child Care Information System (NCCIS).

Currently, there are approximately 6,000 children in care in Ireland and approximately 500 young people leave care every year upon reaching 18 years of age.

The Ryan Report

The Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (The Ryan Report), published in May 2009, included 20 recommendations for government departments and institutions responsible for child services.

This latest research project addresses Action 65 of The Ryan Report Implementation Plan, which recommended that “the HSE will, with their consent, conduct a longitudinal study to follow young people who leave care for 10 years, to map their transition to adulthood”.

It will include a once-off study of young people who left care ten years ago, to generate insights into the longer-term experiences and outcomes of young people who leave care.

It will also include a longitudinal study of young people leaving care, tracking their experiences from when they turn 16, over a ten-year period.

A steering group will be established to report periodically on progress to the Management Board of the Department and to the Minister.

Launching the research, Minister Roderic O’Gorman said it would “provide new and important insights into the experiences of children in care and how they get on in later life”.

“Having prioritised the reform and restructure of Tusla in 2021, I now want to ensure that the experience of children in care is prioritised by my Department and by Tusla… While the need for greater research to understand the lives of children in care and adults who were in care as children has been highlighted in the past, I have personally prioritised this work for 2022," he said.

Empowering People in Care (EPIC), a national voluntary organisation for children currently in care and adults who have experienced care, welcomed the announcement.

“After many years of advocating for Action 65 of the Ryan Report to be implemented, EPIC believes this is a milestone in the evolution of Ireland’s care system,” said Marissa Ryan, chief executive of EPIC.

"We hope the evidence generated, which will be based on lived experiences, will bring about positive changes to policy and practice for children and young people in care, and help in creating a future that allows all children and young people to have empowering and positive care experiences," she said.

Reaction

Eve Shields was placed in care under a voluntary care agreement to finish her Leaving Certificate and is currently in her last year of aftercare services, and studying for an MA in Philosophy from NUI Galway.

She is also a member of Tusla’s Independent Research Ethics Committee and the EPIC Youth Council. Ms Shields said the important research is a “long time coming”.

“There needs to be evidence-based policy and practice that is built on the actual needs and experiences of young people in care. The practice of not hearing and listening to the voices of children and young people with care experience has negatively impacted me and other care leavers,” she said.

Ms Shields emphasised that while the research is important, it must also be clear what will be done with the findings.

“If we make ourselves vulnerable and we share our stories, the questions must be asked, where is it going and how will it be used? It’s a fantastic research design, but I’d hate for participants to reveal such sensitive information with the feeling that they are merely kicking an empty can down the road. We are human beings after all, not humans becoming,” she said.

Thomas O’Driscoll was first placed in care when he was seven years old and said the system “both saved and failed” him. He recently graduated with a Masters in Social Work from UCC and is now a registered social worker.

He said the news of the new state research into children in care and care leavers is “extremely positive”, but that the research must include the perspective of all those who experienced the care system.

“I hope creative methodologies are utilized to ensure the study is fully representative of the experiences of care experienced people, who are not a harmonious group. All of us experience the care system differently,” he said.

“I hope the results of the research are the catalyst for the care system and aftercare policy and practices in Ireland to radically change for the better, and ensure young people are given every opportunity to live a happy fulfilled life,” he added.