Barnardos welcomes the joint publication of two reports on the issue of child and family homelessness by the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs.
Dublin, November 14th 2019 – Barnardos welcomes the joint publication of two reports on the issue of child and family homelessness by the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs on the “Impact of Homelessness on Children”, and the Joint Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government’s “Report on Family and Child Homelessness” today.
Suzanne Connolly, Barnardos CEO said: “Barnardos welcomes the work that these two Oireachtas Committees have put in to examining the issue of child and family homelessness over the last few months. The evidence presented to the Committee indicates that the system of addressing homelessness is severely broken.
“Barnardos is calling on the government and all stakeholders to create a more humane system to support children and families experiencing homelessness. For example, the system of self-accommodation and one night only is completely unacceptable. No parent should have to walk the streets with their children waiting to get into their accommodation for a night, a situation made more deplorable by the fact that the weather is getting colder.
“Barnardos supports the recommendation from the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs that a ‘whole family’ approach be used, from the moment any family becomes homeless. As a trauma-informed organisation we particularly welcome the recommendation on trauma informed care.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact:
Barnardos Press Office: 01 7080442 / 086 0445966
Rachel Boyce; 01 7080443
Trudy McCarthy; 01 7080423