Shortage of foster parents in North Tipperary

A SHORTAGE of foster carers in North Tipperary and the country in general has prompted the child and family agency, Tusla, to appeal to people to consider the role.

A small delegation from Tusla met with Nenagh District councillors at the November meeting of the municipal district to highlight the issue. Currently there are 85 foster families in North Tipperary and 120 children in such care.

Previously, foster carers had to be a married husband and wife, but now single people can be foster carers as can same sex couples.

Tusla’s Shirley Brosnan and Jeanette Seymour urged councillors to help them in any way they could to attract more foster carers.

They said there were various options for potential carers, including short-term and longterm fostering.

Cllr Michael O’ Meara said he knew many people in the community who were foster carers. He said they were the unsung heroes in our society, and it was scandalous that they were not entitled to pensions after maybe spending decades looking after children who needed care.

Ms Brosnan said there was currently a crisis in the fostering sector due to a lack of carers.

She said that, previously, children needing care tended to come from underprivileged backgrounds. However, trends had changed since the Covid pandemic and now children in crisis came from all backgrounds.