The term corporate parent is unfortunate, redolent of bureaucracy. It refers to the situation when Tusla must assume responsibility for a child’s wellbeing, health, and development because these needs cannot be met within the family, and relative or foster care is not a viable option due to complex needs.

Someone with decades of experience in residential child care recently said to me grimly that if Tusla as a corporate parent were a flesh-and-blood parent, its children would be taken away. His profound frustration and near-despair arise from having watched the neglect of children’s residential care for decades, including sidelining the voluntary sector while farming out care to profit-driven providers.

The terrible events of recent weeks, including a Ukrainian teenager, Vadym Davydenko, fatally stabbed in special emergency accommodation, and a social care worker injured, were horrifying but not surprising.

Tusla could not have predicted the large influx we have had of Ukrainians, particularly unaccompanied minors, but it might have been able to pivot and adjust if the whole care system had not been in permacrisis. The war in Ukraine is a partial explanation for why Tusla is not coping, but it is not an excuse.

There are many hard-working, dedicated people in Tusla. We rarely thank the organisation for the many children who are well cared for, who go on to overcome appalling challenges and lead happy lives.

But when things go wrong in any child’s life, the results are often catastrophic. It is not........

© The Irish Times