Call for support for foster care system to protect vulnerable children

Vivienne Clarke - The Irish Times

The Irish Foster Carers Association is calling for greater support for the foster care system in response to a recent case of rape of three girls in foster care in County Galway, according to this article from the Irish Times. The organisation’s chief executive Catherine Bond noted that other children had been allowed to remain in the foster care home of the now-convicted perpetrator, even after the first girl came forward with a "credible" complaint about the man. “A full risk assessment should have been carried out," said Bond. Bond calls for "robust" support for the foster care system to ensure that social workers are able to carry out greater checks on a regular and sustained basis.