Sir, – What would we think of any parent who put their children out the door at the age of 18 and told them that they could no longer have any contact with the family, would have to find their own accommodation, would have €188 deposited in their bank every week to fund themselves and would be able to meet a support worker (if one was available) once a week for an hour?
What outcomes would we expect for those young people? How many of our 18-year-old offspring would cope?
It is time that the State, in loco parentis for these young care-leavers, realised that children (and especially children who have suffered the loss of their birth home and family and perhaps other trauma) do not suddenly grow up on their 18th birthday. They need substantial ongoing support into adulthood.
The State’s failure to address this injustice creates many victims and hidden costs that are never attributed to this source. – Yours, etc,
ITA O’DRISCOLL,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.