Thread-Had a long think today about the news that there will be the abolition of the Dept of Children & decided it's only right to write this. For a long time Child protection was the poor relation in the department of health, never getting the attention or resources it needed /1
/2 Two things that have driven change were the creation of Tusla as a stand alone agency & the creation of the Department of Children. The dept is seen by some as just the dept of childcare, but it's not that. Early years education & care is important (just ask any one working
/3 from home with kids during lockdown). Viewing the dept as just childcare is reductive & misses a lot of the work it does. Half of the dept’s budget covers the varied work of Tusla, covering child protection, domestic violence services, family support, family resource centres.
/4 All working to support vulnerable families & protect children at risk. There are still problems, there are still missed opportunities, but it will all be handled better by a Minister for Children, at the cabinet table & with their own budget, not as one part of someone else's.
/5 Ultimately this is a loss for vulnerable families, parents and children.
