Homeless mums fear their babies will be taken into care

Homelessness charity A Lending Hand says more and more children are being taken into foster care at birth due to a lack of accommodation and the ability to provide a safe environment for the baby. Picture: iStock 

Growing numbers of new mothers are giving birth while living in fear their babies will be taken off them by social services because they are homeless.

Figures from the Department of Housing show that, in September, 16,614 people were living in emergency accommodation, almost a third of them children.

The homelessness charity, A Lending Hand, says more and more children are being taken into foster care at birth from families due to a lack of accommodation and the ability to provide a safe environment for the baby.

Keira Gill, who runs A Lending Hand, said: “Generally speaking, we are seeing an increase in women having babies in homelessness, and then spending the next nine months terrified that they can’t secure accommodation long term, and they then face their child going into care.

“Nobody wants that for their new baby. The child must always come first, but there should be a strong network of safety and supports for the mother and child that should be brought into consideration as long as the child is safe.

“We emphasise to our clients all the time to engage with the services. It is always hoped that mothers and babies can stay together, as long as the child’s needs are being met.”

Mother 'terrified' by bid to take her newborn into care

One young woman told the Irish Examiner she is living in fear that social workers will remove her child because she is living in emergency accommodation and does not have a strong support network.

The woman gave birth recently and has remained in hospital where she has been served with notice of a court hearing to remove her child into the care of the State.

The woman said she “can’t sleep or eat” since social workers notified her of their intention to remove the child from her care.

The woman has provided documentation to the Irish Examiner to show her engagement with services in a bid to support her wellbeing and that of her new baby.

“I am terrified,” she said.

“I just don’t want to lose my child, but this is a huge issue when it comes to homelessness.”

Tusla's response

Tusla said that, for families facing homelessness, it provides family support, prevention, and early intervention services for children and their families through a multi-agency and co-ordinated response.

“In general, where a person is engaged with any of our services, we do our utmost to provide the appropriate support based on their needs and circumstances.

“Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of the children and families we work with, and we are committed to a collaborative, multi-agency approach to achieving the best possible outcomes.

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“Our goal is always to keep children within their family units whenever possible. It is important to emphasise that managing any referral of concern involves an extensive process. 

"This process can include several steps including screening, preliminary inquiries, initial assessments, and appropriate onward actions. Actions may then lead to family support services, safety planning processes, or, as a last resort, taking the child into State care, either voluntarily or through a court order.”