Budget 2016: State needs to be proactive and give funds
The travails of the Child and Family Agency are well-documented. Just last month this paper highlighted yet another rise in referrals for child welfare and abuse cases, at a time when it was operating at a loss. Barnardos and others stress the importance of adequately funding Tusla so it can be proactive, rather than reactive.
At this stage many children, particularly across Dublin city, are ‘at home’ in hotels or B&Bs. This could prove a legacy issue if children are effectively growing up in insecure housing.
Final talks under way on childcare supports in budget, via @Junomaco http://t.co/AhZLgZGaxB (GM) pic.twitter.com/qCxs8NBqdZ
— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) October 7, 2015
The ‘Scandanavian-style’ system once mentioned by Social Protection Minister Joan Burton has not come to pass, but the need for it remains.
There have been calls for the Government to introduce subsidises and an over-arching cap on costs for private childcare.
Fuel and drink tax hikes ruled out for budget, via @Junomaco & @Ocionnaith http://t.co/TygjR6iiyG (GM) pic.twitter.com/1scHjJhneA
— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) October 8, 2015
There have also been calls for minimum qualifications for those working in the sector and that ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) capitation is increased from its current level.
The criticism of JobBridge has been long and loud and the Irish National Organisation for the Unemployed (INOU) said more resources were needed to create better matches between jobseekers and jobs or training programmes. It also wants an increase in social welfare rates to pre-crash levels and the end of age-based “segregation” over the different levels of payment.
Epic (Empowering Young People In Care) have called for “properly funded, statutory” aftercare for those who come through the care system between the ages of 18 and 23, and particularly for those not in education.
Numerous reports have indicated the difficulties faced by many young people who leave the care system so this — and suggestions of ‘preferred status’ for careleavers in terms of housing and access to education — are worth considering.
Amid heightened worry over fuel poverty, charities such as SVP (St Vincent de Paul) want a swifter implementation of retro-fitting properties, particularly in the private rental sector.
The feeling is this could help ease the associated health risks and ameliorate against some of the other cuts felt by elderly people in recent years.
Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald and her successor as Minister for Children, James Reilly, have stressed the importance of giving children the best start in life from newborn to age five, so now is the time to put serious resources into it.
#ANALYSIS: Jim Power suggests election will cast its shadow over #Budget2016 http://t.co/DYE2kilgWS ^DH pic.twitter.com/gzywThVfEN
— Irish Examiner (@irishexaminer) October 6, 2015
One suggestion is to extend the Community Childcare Subvention scheme to all early years services. Ideally this would also apply to early diagnosis and intervention for younger children with conditions such as autism, rather than waiting years for assessments.
Changes to the qualifying criteria announced two years ago came into full effect this year, and prompted an angry backlash. Groups such as One Family have claimed the changes have seriously hit disposable income and put more families at risk of poverty.
Work continues on the redevelopment and expansion of the Oberstown juvenile detention facility but, as evidenced by a critical Hiqa report and the escape from the centre of some young people in the summer, all is not operating as smoothly as it could be. Prevention is better than cure.
In addition to greater access to affordable childcare, speculation that paid paternity leave and extended parental leave is being considered is music to the ears of many families around the country, and chimes with giving children the best start in life.
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