Dublin District Court granted a full care order for a boy in care for most of his life, after hearing that he was now thriving in a stable residential placement following a number of difficult years.
The mother attended the hearing by video-link due to a difficult relationship with the father and a history of domestic violence. She did not oppose the application for a full care order.
Her solicitor said she wanted the court to know “how much she loves her son” and that she wished to remain involved in his life. She was anxious that he would grow up knowing his siblings and hoped to increase access, including the possibility of overnight visits.
The father was not present in court. His solicitor said he had recently been released from prison and had expressed a wish to build a relationship with his son, but no formal instructions had been received.
The social worker told the court the boy had been in the care of the Child and Family Agency (CFA) without return to his mother for the last six years, with earlier periods of care prior to that. A parenting capacity assessment had found that the mother would require significant support to parent independently.
“He is a child with a high level of needs,” the social worker said, adding that extensive supports had been put in place and he was now doing well.
He said the boy had settled in his current residential unit, where he had formed strong relationships with staff. “The unit is very good and provides the substantial care he needs,” he said. “He has a great relationship with staff and plays sport with them. They are fully committed to him.”
The court heard the boy was preparing to start secondary school in September. He had chosen his new school and was “excited to attend with his friends.” Psychological supports were in place, and he also had regular contact with his siblings, which had been supported.
In relation to the father, the social worker said he had recently completed a parenting capacity assessment following a lengthy period in custody and would need to engage in further work, including parenting and domestic violence programmes.
When asked by the judge whether reunification was realistic, the social worker said it was not at present. The mother required significant support and now had a new baby, with another on the way, while the father was “just getting his feet on the ground,” following his release from prison.
He confirmed that the CFA would continue to keep the mother updated on all aspects of the boy’s life. “Nothing will change in that regard,” he said. The CFA would also consider increasing access over time, including the possibility of overnight visits.
He agreed that both the mother and father were engaging very well with the CFA and had attended all organised meetings and had not missed any access.
The GAL said he was supporting the application and described the boy’s journey through care as particularly challenging. “He has been through the ringer,” he said, noting that he had experienced multiple placement breakdowns since the GAL’s appointment in 2022.
He said that in a previous placement the boy had witnessed violence from another resident and had later struggled in another rural placement, where he had become extremely distressed. “He suffered extreme emotional dysregulation… and at times was expressing suicidal ideation,” he said.
However, he described the boy’s current placement as “exceptional.” He had a very good relationship with the male staff there who “really seem to understand him,” he said.
When asked by the judge if there was any prospect of sourcing a long-term foster family, the GAL said “this was the heartbreaking thing.” The boy had been very clear in expressing his wishes. “He wants a foster family who will just love him,” he said. A potential respite foster family with significant experience had been identified and the GAL hoped this could be progressed.
He told the court that this was the boy’s 41st court appearance since coming into care and that over this period his views were consistent. His first wish was for a foster family and his second wish was to return home to his mother. “He loves his mum to bits,” the GAL said, adding that he also wanted to help her with her new baby, but did not want to live with his father.
He described the boy as “beautiful, charismatic and a credit to his mum.” He was well-known in the community for his “vocal and chatty” nature.
The GAL emphasised the importance of consistent access with his mother and said he was not opposed to overnight contact in time. He praised the mother for her openness and honesty in his meetings with her and said she had been “a pleasure to deal with.”
The judge said this was “a lovely story.” He noted the positive progress the boy had made and the stability of his current placement. Addressing the mother, he said he hoped she would enjoy attending his upcoming confirmation. “I am going to make the order to 18,” the judge said. “It is a positive story.”