Foster parents taken for granted by state - Cllr Sarah O'Reilly
Foster parents across Cavan Monaghan who are doing their utmost to care for vulnerable children are not getting the supports they need from the State.
That’s according to Aontú Cllr Sarah O’Reilly, a candidate in the Cavan Monaghan Constituency in the upcoming General Election who says, “The lack of supports is putting huge pressure on foster parents who have opened their hearts and homes to these children but are being taken completely for granted by our state”.
Cllr O’ Reilly says “It is heartbreaking listening to foster parents who are struggling under the demands of caring for children who don’t even have a social worker assigned to them. There is a lack of Social Workers, and this is completely unacceptable in a country that is economically buoyant but increasingly a cold place for people who are vulnerable in any way”.
Foster parents are providing a safe, warm and loving environment for children who badly need it “They are not doing it for the money, they are doing it because they genuinely care which is patently obvious as the financial help they get is paltry and does not reflect the needs of the children in their care at all. Foster parents were not even considered for an increase in their allowance in the recent budget and they do not get any pension contributions ,despite the fact that so many of them have to give up work”.
“The children they care for are not even eligible for a back-to-school allowance which is grossly unfair”.
“I firmly believe that there should be an adequate once off payment to foster parents at the start of each placement to allow them to buy the necessary equipment and toys for each child”.
“There seems to be no will whatsoever on the part of the Department of Children to address the glaring gaps around social care workers. I believe they should look at conversion’ courses whereby people with a degree in childcare for example could do an in depth and intensive course to qualify as Social Workers” .
“The Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman has shown himself to be hopelessly out of his depth on the issue of children protection”. “He can’t even state how many children go missing from state care every year”.
“We have seen how children were placed in the care of unvetted people, this is absolutely appalling”.
“The spectre of 227 poor, unfortunate children dying in state care in the past decade is proof enough that a gross injustice is being done to vulnerable, voiceless children “. It is an utter disgrace how these children are being failed”
