Chai Brady
A huge proportion of young people leaving State care are becoming homeless as social workers scramble to find accommodation, according to several Irish charities.
The Department of Youth Affairs offers an aftercare service which aims to offer guidance and practical supports with regards to education, financial support, social network support and training for young people leaving care, but charities have said the service is woefully overstretched.
Alan Neary of Focus Ireland told The Irish Catholic that: “Every young person at risk needs a dedicated aftercare worker. However, many services are stretched to breaking point as staff often have caseloads of over 30 young people.
“In our experience each worker should have a caseload of no more than 15 to 20 young people.”
Focus Ireland call for a greater emphasis on employment and training so young people can sustainably exit the service into housing, and that there should be “targeted mental health support”.
Merchants Quay Ireland youth worker Antoinette Peel said that from January to September of this year 55 of 136 (40%) of the 18-25 year olds she has worked with came from State care.
She said that many aftercare workers are hitting brick walls as affordable accommodation is almost non-existent, particularly in Dublin.
“All of these kids don’t asked to be put into care, so when they come into adults homeless services it’s quite frightening for them, you try and keep it on the short term.
“A lot of people think homelessness is related to drugs, a good percentage of my clients are drug free,” said Ms Peel, who motivates and assists young people to pursue their goals, adding that many young people never had someone who believes in them.
In 2016 MQI supported 204 young people, an increase of 24% compared to 2015.
The Peter McVerry Trust operates a special 18-25 year old hostel in Dublin, and last year, out of 74 people who accessed the service, 50% had a history of State care.
Spokesman Frances Doherty said: “In the development of Rebuilding Ireland we secured via Minister Zappone ringfenced funds to provide housing for young people leaving care. The scheme has only just rolled out and we will be buying a significant number of properties in Dublin and Kildare to house care leavers.”
The charity began providing the first aftercare housing in Kildare and have housed five young people this year with plans to increase numbers in Dublin, Kildare, Limerick and others areas that we now operate.”