Publication
Children in Care
From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Published on
Last updated on
Tusla is the national Child and Family Agency. It aims to support and promote the development, welfare and protection of children and young people. Tusla is committed to ensuring that children and young people are supported to live at home with their families when it is in their best interests to do so, near their friends and schools and in their own communities.
Tusla receives children and young people into care when it has formed the view that, at least for the time being, their health, development or wellbeing cannot otherwise be ensured at home.
Tusla aims to provide safe, reliable and effective services for children in Care, and develop placement options for children with additional needs. Children admitted to care are accommodated through placement in foster care, placement with relatives, or residential care. Further information about care services is available on the Tusla website.
Tusla is the only organisation in the country that provides a statutory fostering service. Across Ireland, 4,040 foster carers open their homes to 5,914 children currently.
Tusla needs foster carers to care for children in short-term, emergency, long term, and respite fostering across Ireland, especially in the greater Dublin area and in large urban environments. Tusla requires foster carers from a diverse range of backgrounds. They welcome applications from single carers and same sex couples.
Tusla operates a national emergency phone service for its foster carers. The service is available 365 days a year, from 6pm to 7am from Monday to Friday, and 9-5pm and 6pm-7am on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. The contact number is 1890 800 511.
More information on Tusla fostering services can be found on fostering.ie.
Sometimes residential care is assessed as what the child/young person requires in order to have their needs met. Children’s Residential Services aim to provide a physically, emotionally and psychologically safe space in which children and young people reach their full potential in every aspect of their lives. Most Children’s Residential Centres nationally are community-based which means they look like, and are situated within, the same houses, estates and communities that everybody lives in.
Special Care is short term, stabilising and safe care in a secure therapeutic environment. The aim of the Special Care intervention is to provide an individualised programme of support and skilled therapeutic intervention for the child/young person to stabilise and then move to a less secure placement. A Special Care placement can only be made via an order of the High Court. Tusla provide and monitor all Special Care Units.
In the third quarter of 2020, there were 5,914 children in care including 79 separated children seeking asylum. 91% (5,364) of children in care were in foster care, 7% (415) were in a residential placement and the remainder, 2% (131), were in other care placements.
The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) and Tusla are ensuring the best possible service continues to be provided for vulnerable children, young people and their families in challenging times. Key measures taken by DCEDIY and Tusla include enacting emergency measures to allow swift recruitment and approval of additional foster carers.
DCYA and Tusla worked with the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), the Irish Foster Care Association, Ombudsman for Children and the Special Rapporteur for Child Protection regarding changes to the regulations relating to the placement of children in foster care to ensure family-based care remains the main form of alternative care in Ireland.
Children and Young People’s Services Committees (CYPSC) are key to planning and co-ordinating services for children and young people in every county in Ireland. CYPSC help children and young people by co-operating across agencies. Further information about CYPSC, including your county CYPSC, is available on our CYPSC page.
