National Children in the Care of the State and the Education System Working Group

Dr Paul Downes, Director of DCU Educational Disadvantage Centre, Anne McCluskey Principal Our Lady of the Wayside, Bluebell and Professor Aislinn O’Donnell, Maynooth University have led the establishment of a new national policy and research Working Group to develop the education system in order to meet the needs of Children and Young People in Care.

The Educational Disadvantage Centre, DCU has hosted the initial meetings of the network in the Institute of Education, St. Patrick’s Campus, Drumcondra. The network membership includes representatives from the INTO, IMPACT, Children's Rights Alliance, National Parent's Council Primary and Early Years, Empowering People in Care (EPIC), Focus Ireland, Irish Foster Care Association (IFCA), Careleavers Network, Maynooth University, DCU and Maynooth Access Service.

Wayne Dignam, Chairperson of the Care Leavers Network Ireland presented a written and oral submission on children in state care and care leavers to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills by the Care Leavers' Network Ireland, entitled 'Barriers to Education Facing Vulnerable Groups' on May 29th, 2018.

Dr Paul Downes gave a keynote Presentation at the EPIC - Empowering People in Care – Webinar on February 16^th 2021. The presentation is entitled The Holistic Educational Needs of Children and Young People in Care: Placing an Invisible Issue on the National Policy Agenda.

EPIC Webinar Podcast available to view here

Media

Dr Paul Downes gave a keynote Presentation at the EPIC - Empowering People in Care – Webinar on February 16^th 2021. The presentation is entitled The Holistic Educational Needs of Children and Young People in Care: Placing an Invisible Issue on the National Policy Agenda.

EPIC Webinar Podcast available to view here

EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN IN CARE.

Letter to the Irish Times from the Children in Care Working Group, September 2020

WORKING GROUP CORRESPONDENCE

Educational Needs of Children in Care - Letter to the Editor, Irish Times. Monday 21st September 2020

Letter to Minister Simon Harris November 2020

Letters to Ministers Roderick O'Gorman and Norma Foley September 2020

Letters to Ministers Katherine Zappone and Joe McHugh, October 2019

Failing our most vulnerable pupils - Letter to the Editor, Irish Times. Tuesday September 3rd 2019

Opening Statement by Wayne Dignam, CEO Care Leavers Network Ireland, to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills Skills on 'Barriers Facing Children in Care in the Education System’. May 29^th 2018

Careleavers Network Ireland's Submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills on 'Barriers Facing Children in Care in the Education System’. March 23^rd 2018

Other media on this issue

Almost half of youth deaths in State care from suicide or overdose Irish Times Friday November 12^th 2021

Deaths in State care show systemic cracks remain despite reforms Irish Times Friday November 12^th 2021

Out of Care, into college: 'The cards are stacked against you' - Irish Times Tuesday September 7^th 2021

Care leavers say supports should continue to age 26 - RTE Tuesday 25^th May 2021

Dr Eavan Brady. Webinar on the Educational Pathways of Care-Experienced Adults. 18^th November 2020

Luke Rodgers, from The Care Leavers organisation, explains how school experiences of children in care are shaped by the systems around them. Webinar hosted by the Rees Centre University of Oxford, July 2020.

Life after care: 'We're all just trying to grow up' - Irish Times Saturday, February 15^th 2020

School exclusions are on the up – but training teachers in trauma could help. The Conversation, June 11^th 2019

Teachers 'fail to understand traumatised adopted pupils - TES June 27th 2018

Resources

Anne McCluskey, Children in the Care of the State. Published in Leadership +, February 2020 Special Issue on Special Educational Needs, Page 8

Children in Need and Children in Care: Educational attainment and progress - University of Bristol and REES Centre Oxford University 2020

Alex Timpson Attachment and Trauma Awareness in Schools Programme – Working Paper 1 Attachment and trauma awareness training: analysis of pre-Covid survey data from staff in 24 primary schools October 2020

Alex Timpson Attachment and Trauma Awareness in Schools

Houses of the Oireachtas, Joint Committee on Education and Skills. Report on Education Inequality & Disadvantage, and Barriers to Education May 2019

Sebba, J & Luke, N. (2019). The educational progress and outcomes of children in care: editorial. Oxford Review of Education, 45, 4, 435-442

Carr, N & Mayock, P. (2019). Care and Justice: Children and Young People in Care and Contact with the Criminal Justice System. Dublin: Irish Penal Reform Trust

Eavan Brady & Robbie Gilligan (2019)., Exploring diversity in the educational pathways of care-experienced adults: Findings from a life course study of education and care. Children and Youth Services Review 104 (2019)

Brady, E., Gilligan, R and Nic Fhlannchadha, S. (2019) Care-experienced Young People Accessing Higher Education in Ireland. Irish Journal of Applied Social Studies ISSN 1393-7022. Vol. 19 (1), 2019, 51-64.

Brady, Gilligan and Nic Fhlannchadha (2019)

Devaney, C and Rooney, C. (June 2018). The Feasibility Of Conducting A Longitudinal Study On Children In Care Or Children Leaving Care Within The Irish Context. Institute for Lifecourse and Society

Elysia V. Clemens, Kristin Klopfenstein, Trent L. Lalonde, Matt Tis (2018). The effects of placement and school stability on academic growth trajectories of students in foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, Volume 87, April 2018, Pages 86-94

Gilligan, R., & Arnau-Sabatés, L. (2017). The role of carers in supporting the progress of care leavers in the world of work. Child and Family Social Work, 22, 2, 792 – 800

Mannay D, Evans R, Staples E, Hallett S, Roberts L, Rees A and Andrews D. The consequences of being labelled 'looked-after': Exploring the educational experiences of looked-after children and young people in Wales. British Educational Research Journal, 2017 Aug; 43(4):683-699.

European Social Network (2016). Investing in children’s Services: Improving Outcomes

Mannay; Evans; Staples; Hallett; Roberts; Alyson and Andrews (2015). Understanding the educational experiences and opinions, attainment, achievement and aspirations of looked after children in Wales: The Lace Project. CASCADE, Cardiff University

Keen, E. (2015). Realising children's rights: A training manual for care professionals working with children in alternative care. Austria: SOS Children’s Villages

Dawn Mannay; Eleanor Staples; Sophie Hallett; Louise Roberts; Alyson Rees; Rhiannon Evans and Darren Andrews (2015 ). Understanding the educational experiences and opinions, attainment, achievement and aspirations of looked after children in Wales.CASCADE/Children’s Social Care Research and Development Centre, Cardiff University

Commissioned by the Ombudsman for Children. (2015). Education of Children in Care in Ireland: An Exploratory Study . Merike Darmody, Léan McMahon, Joanne Banks, The Economic and Social Research Institute and Robbie Gilligan, Children’s Research Centre, Trinity College

Sebba, Berridge, Luke, Fletcher, Bell, Strand, Thomas, Sinclair & O’Higgins (2015) The Educational Progress of Looked After Children in England: Linking Care and Educational Data. Rees Centre, Bristol University

EPIC, Empower Ireland and Focus Ireland (2012) Pathways