Concerns about aftercare for young

THE CARE provided to unaccompanied young people once they reached 18 was “a long way short of adequate” and left the young people forgetting “how to be happy”, a conference in Dublin heard yesterday.

Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald addressed the conference hosted by Young People at Risk. After hearing some of the stories of unaccompanied young people’s experiences of the care system, she said she would meet Gordon Jeyes, HSE director of child and family services, next week to discuss the issues.

The conference heard of young foreign nationals who had been in residential care but once they turned 18 were sent to adult direct-provision accommodation, sometimes on the other side of the State, sometimes sharing rooms with older people while they were studying for their Leaving Cert, without any aftercare support.

Paul Flynn, co-ordinator of the youth aftercare service at Crosscare – the social care agency of the archdiocese of Dublin – said all young people leaving care should have aftercare support.

“The needs of vulnerable young do not disappear when they reach 18. is a pathway to discrimination, isolation and marginalisation,” he said.

Chairing the discussion, Sinn Féin TD Mary Lou McDonald, said there were huge problems in the aftercare service. “It’s a long way short of adequate,” she said.

Cindy Njoki, a young woman who has long been out of the system, said she knew of some young people who felt so isolated after leaving care they had “forgotten how to be happy”.

Ms Fitzgerald said it was vital the HSE looked at best practice.