Issues

Child homelessness on the rise

A coalition of children’s welfare organization’s has revealed that child homelessness has almost doubled in the past year.

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Figures published in the Children’s Rights Alliance 2016 Annual Report Card reveal that one in nine of the nation’s children now live in poverty. The number of homeless children rose by 90 per cent to 1,830 in 2015. Children now account for almost one-third of the homeless population with the majority of these homeless families living in Dublin.

The number of families experiencing homelessness has increased dramatically. In October 2015, there were 774 families, with 1,638 children living in emergency accommodation. There are also a significant number of households on the social waiting list, in 2013 89,872 households were on the list with 47 per cent waiting seven years or more.

The alliance is one of the 17 organization’s that make up the Community and Voluntary Pillar of Social Partnership. The report card, is the eighth in the series and was prepared by an independent panel. Child poverty was awarded an ‘E-‘ grade and ‘Child and Youth Homelessness’ was awarded an ‘F’.

Reflecting on this grade, Children’s Rights Alliance Chief Executive, Tanya Ward stated that the amount of children experiencing homelessness was “just not acceptable.”

“The impact of the housing crisis has been devastating on families in Ireland and children in particular are suffering disproportionately,” said Ward. “Emergency housing that is not family-friendly or child-appropriate can have severely negative impacts on a child, from the distress of upsetting their daily routine, to being removed from schools, friends, community and healthcare.

“The current upturn in the economy must not prove to simply push the most vulnerable even further into the margins of society. The last administration placed emphasis on improving the infrastructure to support children’s rights including the creation of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the establishment of the Child and Family Agency and the introduction of progressive legislation heralding much needed, comprehensive family law reform. However, there are groups of children that have been left behind.”

 

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