Having a child in hospital is an extremely stressful time for any parent.
Affording to stay with your child when they are sick should not be something anyone should have to worry about.
However, according to
a new report, parents with children in hospital can face a loss of income of €300 a week on top of other non-medical costs such as travel, parking and accommodation.
In light of this revelation, the group Children in Hospital Ireland is calling on the Government to introduce a social protection payment to help parents struggling with these financial burdens.
Loss of income can result from taking time off work or even giving up employment entirely in some cases.
In its pre-Budget submission, the group said other non-medical costs could be as high as €100 a day during a child’s hospitalisation.
'Significant financial consequences'
“Parents are a vital part of the care team when their child is sick," explains Anna Gunning, chief executive of Children in Hospital Ireland.
"This means that they spend lengthy periods of time in hospital with their child, which can have significant financial consequences."
She adds:
“Parents are faced with additional expenses, while also finding it very difficult to engage in paid employment. The median loss in income experienced by parents surveyed by Children in Hospital Ireland was €300 a week. One-third of parents surveyed had given up work to care for their sick child. A majority reported a negative financial impact and concerns about their finances due to their child being in hospital."
Gunning explains that they are particularly concerned about the impact on parents whose child requires long-term hospitalisation and repeated visits, as they are likely to be the most impacted.
“Even before recent developments, families with children in hospital were struggling with a cost-of-living crisis. The financial challenges of the past few months have been acutely felt by these families and are becoming increasingly unsustainable.”
The organisation called for a new social protection payment and said the current supports available are limited and fail to account for the unique and complex challenges arising from a child’s hospitalisation, and are proposing a payment to assist parents with children who have prolonged stays in hospital or who require frequent hospital attendance.
“This payment would go some way to address the financial hardship faced by parents and would acknowledge the critical role they play in caring for their sick child,” it said.
“The cost of this payment to the Exchequer would be minimal, but it would be transformative for parents. Only a small minority of the total number of children who receive hospital care each year have prolonged stays or require repeat attendances.”
Significant costs faced by parents include travel and parking, food, accommodation, childcare for other children and mental health supports, it said.
