Public Consultation on the National Policy Framework for Alternative Care

The Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley, has launched a public consultation for Ireland’s first National Policy Framework for Alternative Care. The Minister is now seeking the public’s views to inform the development of the National Policy Framework. You can submit your views up until 12 March 2026 by completing our survey.

The State looks after about 6,000 children who can’t live with their birth parents. Most of these children are in foster care, which is usually the preferred option because it most closely replicates a family home environment. Other types of care include living with relatives (called kinship care), living in residential care centres (called residential care), and secure care for children whose behaviour poses a risk to their life, health, safety, development or welfare (special care). More information regarding alternative care is provided in the relevant section below.

The National Policy Framework for Alternative Care will set out a whole of State plan for the future of alternative care in Ireland. This will deliver on a commitment made in the Programme for Government ‘Securing Ireland’s Future’ (2025) to develop a national plan on alternative care, which is required to include:

• A short-term action plan addressing current issues in accessing appropriate alternative care places, and:
• A long-term vision for how the alternative care system will operate into the future.

In addition to delivering on the above, it is the Department of Children’s ambition that the National Policy Framework for Alternative Care will improve outcomes for the vulnerable individuals who are known to this service.

This public call for input is part of a broader process of consultation with children, young people, families, stakeholders and sectoral experts. Your responses and the feedback from the overall consultation process will enable us to identify key issues and help to shape the National Policy Framework for Alternative Care.

We want to hear from a diversity of people, including but not limited to those who may have personal experience with Ireland’s alternative care system. We would be grateful for your contributions regarding:

1. The period during which a child is in alternative care.
2. The period before a child comes into alternative care, for example matters relating to child protection, family support, or early intervention.
3. The period after a child being in care, for example matters relating to aftercare or longer term outcomes.
4. Other relevant matters.

Please complete our survey. (Note: Both English and Irish-language options are available on the survey page.)

Alternatively, if you are under the age of 18, or if you are unable to complete the survey linked above, please send a completed template form:

• By email, to: altcaresubmissions@dcde.gov.ie

or:

• By post, to: The Alternative Care Policy Unit, Department of Children, Disability and Equality, Block 1, Miesian Plaza, 50-58 Baggot Street, Dublin 2, D02 XWI4, Freepost F5055.

Survey responses should be in the English or Irish language. You may complete the survey or template on your own behalf or on behalf of an organisation. Submissions that do not use the survey link or the template form will not be considered.

Alternative care is when the State provides care for children and young people who cannot remain in the care of their parents. In these circumstances, the child may be referred to as being ‘in the care of the State,’ or simply ‘in care.’

The Child and Family Agency (Tusla) are the State Agency with responsibility for the protection and welfare of children. The decision to place a child or young person in care with Tusla may be:

• Agreed on a voluntary basis between Tusla and the child’s parents/guardians or:
• Required by an order of the court under the Child Care Act 1991, including care orders, emergency care orders, or special care orders.

The basis on which a child is in alternative care affects how much authority Tusla has to make decisions for that child. In delivering on its responsibilities under the Child Care Act 1991, Tusla must regard the welfare of children as the first and paramount consideration.

Once a child has entered alternative care, Tusla may accommodate and care for them in several ways, in accordance with their specific needs. Tusla may place children in:

• Foster care.
• Foster care with relatives.
• In a residential care centre.
• In another setting that Tusla deems appropriate.
• In special care, where certain criteria are met, including a special care order of the High Court.

Children may remain in alternative care until their 18th birthday or earlier depending on their circumstances. Once a child in care reaches the age of 18, that care arrangement must conclude. Young people over the age of 18 may qualify for an aftercare service, in accordance with the eligibility criteria for aftercare in the Child Care Act 1991.

More information about alternative care, protecting and supporting children, foster care, residential care, and aftercare services can be found here.

Responses will be reviewed by the Department of Children to inform the design and development of Ireland’s first National Policy framework for Alternative Care.

Responses may be used to inform further consultation or policy development. Anonymised extracts from submissions or survey answers may be quoted in the National Policy Framework, supplementary documents, or shared during consultation.

Please note that responses to this public consultation will not be responded to unless follow up communication is required.

All submissions and survey answers are subject to release under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 2014 and are also subject to Data Protection legislation. Personal, confidential or commercially sensitive information should not be included in your submission, and it will be presumed that all information contained in your submission is releasable under FOI legislation.

Closing date for receipt of submissions is close of business, 12 March 2026.