As the latest release from the Department of Housing shows an alarming rise in the number of children living in homeless accommodation to 3,784 in February, Barnardos stresses all children experiencing the trauma of homelessness need access to support services.
Dublin, 29 March 2019 – As the latest release from the Department of Housing shows an alarming rise in the number of children living in homeless accommodation to 3,784 in February, Barnardos stresses all children experiencing the trauma of homelessness need access to support services.
Suzanne Connolly, Barnardos CEO said: “The rise in child homelessness in February is shocking but sadly not surprising given the consistent upward trend over the last number of years. No child should be forced to spend any time without a home and it is simply not right that in our society thousands of children are spending months, even years, without a home. We at Barnardos are calling on the Government to do more to stop family homelessness. We are urging politicians to place a six month cap on the use of emergency accommodation to house families and to put better supports in place for children who are experiencing homelessness.
“Living in homelessness is a time of deep uncertainty for any child, and for some it can have serious, long-lasting effects. For parents too, homelessness causes extreme stress as they struggle to maintain normality and shield their child or children from the harsh realities of living in emergency accommodation. But, it doesn’t have to be this way; families needn’t struggle alone. Services, such as those provided by Barnardos, help parents navigate and cope with the emotional, social and practical challenges living in emergency accommodation places on a family.
“Children may not fully understand why they have to live in a hotel or hub. They may feel like they have done something wrong. Boredom, insecurity and feelings of loss or shame are common. By providing the children experiencing the trauma of homelessness with a dedicated support worker the Government could make sure they get the emotional and social tools they need to cope with the challenges they face – it is high time politicians took action.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Barnardos Press Office: 01 7080442 / 086 0445966
Rachel Boyce; 01 7080443
Trudy McCarthy; 01 7080423
Visit Barnardos Media Centre www.barnardos.ie/media