Out-of-home child care standards issued

The Department of Social Welfare Standards has issued a set of standards for out-of-home child care, applicable mostly to institutions which provide residential care for children.

Officials of the department said this morning that the main principles of the standards were dignity, privacy, safety, and helping children to realise their potential in a suitable environment.

The standards lay down in detail that the child and its family should be given the necessary support during the decision-making process.Siblings should continue to be cared for together. The move to a new home should be well prepared and sensitively carried out and a child's care should be guided by an individual care plan.

The placement of a child need to match its needs, life situation and original social environment. The child should be allowed to maintain contact with his or her family.

Care givers have to be qualified an enjoy adequate working conditions.

The process of leaving the care home must also be thoroughly planned and implemented and should feature follow-up continuous support

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