Interim care order granted for infant with disabilities whose parents “disengaged”

An interim care order has been granted at the Dublin District Family Court for an infant with complex disabilities whose parents “disengaged” from his care.

Judge Marie Quirke was told a relative and her husband had stepped in when the parents stopped visiting the boy in hospital.

They had since gone “above and beyond” for the child, a social worker with the Child and Family Agency said, and though the child had not been expected to live beyond his first birthday, he was still alive more than two years after it.

The baby had been resuscitated at birth and his mother had missed follow-up appointments for him, the court was told. He subsequently had seizures, was rushed to hospital and spent a year there. He has complex physical and mental disabilities, including limited hearing and sight, and needs to be fed through a tube, the social worker said.

She told Judge Quirke, when the child was in hospital, his parents “disengaged” and stopped visiting him. They were unavailable to sign medical consents and so the child had to be taken into care.

Foster care

A relative and her husband began visiting him regularly and learned how to take care of him. When he was due for release, they took him home, becoming his foster carers.

They were receiving nursing support at home and also getting some weekly overnight respite care.

The social worker said the father was uncontactable. The child’s mother had moved away from Dublin, and was aware of the court case but did not attend.

The boy was well cared for and presented as a happy child, the social worker said. He was “as responsive as he could be”.

“I witnessed his response to carers when he hears their voices and when they pick him up . . . they have gone above and beyond really,” she said.

Making the order, Judge Quirke commended the foster carers for doing “an excellent job”.

In a separate case, the judge criticised the agency after an interim care order hearing uncovered evidence that contradicted some of what was presented at an emergency care order hearing.

The case involved an infant who was taken into care, initially by gardaí, and then on foot of a court order made last week. There were concerns about drug-taking and neglect of the child.

Access refused

Giving evidence last week, the garda said the boy’s parents had refused to allow a social worker and Garda access to their home, though they’d agreed to a supervision order allowing access. She also said the couple had refused access to a public health nurse.

But yesterday, the public health nurse said she had rearranged the appointment with the parents for another day. She also said the couple had attended 23 appointments with her since the birth of their child.

Judge Quirke said it was essential in emergency orders that the “full facts” were put before the court and “not the half facts to suit one side’s case”.

“It is entirely unfair to parents if half of a story is given,” she said.

The parents, who were both present in court yesterday, agreed to the extension of the interim care order.

An application by the agency to reduce access for the parents, from five days a week to two, was rejected by the judge, though the duration was cut from three to two hours.