Every child must be treated equally

I WOULD like to congratulate Catherine Shanahan on her investigation into the appalling treatment of separated children at the hands of the HSE (March 14).

It should be a matter of great shame that these monthly reports to the HSE (spanning January 2009 to January 2010) were only placed in the public domain following a protracted Freedom of Information process. Questions must also be asked as to why this information was only recently released following the closure of the final hostel in December 2010.

The Children’s Rights Alliance is, unfortunately, not surprised by the findings of this investigation by the Irish Examiner, yet this does not diminish our abhorrence at the numbers of missing children, the concerns of prostitution, the lack of social worker support and zero after-care. Ms Shanahan once again exposes endemic failure on the part of the HSE. Behind these reports were frightened children deprived of security and stability, yet the HSE did almost nothing to alleviate these problems. Let us be clear, the odds of a happy ending for these children were slashed by the HSE’s inaction.

And now that the hostels are closed, is everything alright? Unfortunately not. On paper, the new system of placing children with foster families looks good, but we hear tales of children being asked to move at 24 hours’ notice to families they have not yet met and, if that placement breaks down, the child is placed in crisis/emergency centres exposing them to other young people with chaotic behaviour and drug use.

With a new government in place, let’s start afresh, and support and evaluate the equity of care policy of separated children. Let’s treat each and every child in the care of the State equally. Let’s treat them as we would wish our own flesh and blood to be treated.

Jillian van Turnhout

Chief Executive

Children’s Rights Alliance

4 Upper Mount Street

Dublin 2