The importance of support for young adults who leave State Care was highlighted in an RTÉ documentary last night.
Producers spoke to 19 year-old aspiring chef Darragh, whose mother died when he was six. Darragh hit a rough patch when his father passed away nine years later and his time in care ended. Having found aftercare however, and settling into a family style home at D.I.A.L House in his native Limerick, he's now pursuing a place on a cooking course that will earn him a job in a top hotel.
After Care - The Story of Ireland's Care Leavers also featured Kildare teenager Chantelle, who has lived in 20 different homes since went into care aged 13. Chantelle hopes to channel her experiences into helping other children in a similar position by training as a care worker.
More than 6,000 children and teenagers are currently in state care in Ireland, the most common reasons for entering the care system being neglect, anti-social behaviour, violence, addiction, abuse or the death or disability of a parent.
In the last 12 months, almost 500 young adults left foster or residential state care, while almost 1700 young adults aged under-23 are currently accessing after-care services.
The topic quickly began trending on Twitter under the hashtag #aftercare as viewers expressed their feelings on the issue.
