HUNDREDS OF young people who leave the care of the State each year are at risk of homelessness because of a lack of aftercare services, campaigners warn.
The homeless charity Focus Ireland says a statutory right to aftercare for young people leaving care is needed to help them make a more successful transition to independent living.
There are more than 5,000 children and young people in care, with more than 80 per cent of these in foster care. The State has no legal obligation to provide aftercare services and support to a young person in care after the age of 18.
This is despite research by groups such as Focus Ireland which show that a majority of young people end up homeless or in a detention centre within six months of leaving care.
The organisation's founder, Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, said the State had a "moral duty" to provide aftercare to protect vulnerable young people and help them to move on and to have happy and independent lives. "At the end of the day, this will prove to be a sound investment in the parents of our future generations," she said.
Research shows that structured support and accommodation can help prevent people from becoming homeless and also from getting sucked into crime and addiction after leaving care.
The homeless charity has produced a magazine outlining the case for a right to aftercare which will be used to help build support for the campaign.
One person's story which features in the publication is that of former international soccer player Paul McGrath. "The longest walk of my life was the one that took me out of Dublin's orphanage system in the late '70s. I was petrified having spent 11 years in the care of Smyly Trust Homes," he says.
"I was totally unprepared for a life of independence and it took me months to come to terms with the fact that I was now essentially in charge of my own care."
McGrath says he made mistakes and lost jobs, but was fortunate that some "good people at Dalkey Utd" took care of him and helped him to get jobs and deal with some of the difficulties he faced.
Focus Ireland provides 10 apartments for young people aged 18-21 who live in a supported environment for a year after leaving care.
Staff work with young people to encourage them to participate in training, build their confidence and undertake education and work programmes to enable them to move on to independent living.
Focus is planning to develop other residential programmes in Dublin and Waterford for young people who have left State care.
Geoffrey Shannon, a legal expert and author of Child Law,said it was clear a young person's vulnerability may not end simply by them reaching 18 years of age.
"I believe that the current section 45 provision of the Child Care Act should be strengthened to provide support, where necessary, for all children leaving care. A mandatory aftercare provision would be particularly beneficial for young people in danger of becoming offenders," he said.
The Irish Association of Young People in Care said all young people leaving care needed equal opportunities to a standardised and regulated aftercare service.
"Young people also require adequate preparation for life after care and continued support. The best way for this to be achieved is through change in legislation," said Brenda Kneafsey, co-coordinator of the association's aftercare support network.
Case study: Jacinta McAuliffe
The sense of loneliness and isolation was what hit Jacinta McAuliffe (pictured) most when she left the care system.
"I had nowhere to turn to for support and found myself staying at friends' places and sleeping on sofas. I wasn't happy, I had no support and was moving from place to place with no direction," she says.
Her experiences reflect those of other young people once they leave the highly structured world of the care system. You suddenly have to fend for yourself.
Almost inevitably, Jacinta ended up homeless. Thanks to a place in Focus Ireland's "chéad chéim" aftercare service, she was able to get some structure and support into her life. It has made all the difference, she says. "They were so good to me and showed me how to have more confidence in myself."
The aftercare service works by supporting young people leaving care to find a route out of homelessness or prevent them from becoming homeless."I think there should be more support for people like me leaving care," says Jacinta. "It should be everyone's right to receive this type of care should they need it."