The Child and Family Agency has confirmed shortages in the number of social workers allocated to children in care in the Mid-West and County Clare.
Tusla figures seen by Clare FM reveal insufficient resources to support children in foster care and their families, while 10 Clare children in care have no allocated social worker.
Following recent reports of social worker shortages nationwide, Clare FM contacted Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, set up by the Minister for Children, to establish the situation faced by children in care in this county.
Tusla responded to say that 162 Clare children are in care, and 94% of them have been assigned to a social worker – 10 of these children have not – and the Child and Family Agency says these are generally "low priority" cases like children in long term stable placements.
Tusla has also confirmed that a vacancy exists for a Link worker – whose job it is to provide support to foster carers in Clare. The county has 4.6 such positions, and where a gap exists, social workers are called on to fill in.
All of the 162 Clare children in care have been assigned to an aftercare worker, who deals with an average case load of 25.
