Ireland's child care system faces crisis as teens end up in hospitals and go missing

Analysis of district-court child proceedings reveals that one in six children in Ireland’s care system are placed in unsuitable settings, often due to behavioral challenges and a shortage of foster homes. A teenager with ADHD repeatedly escaped his unit, injured himself, and was placed in a hospital where he remained under security after the residential centre refused his return. This was his fourth emergency placement, and officials noted a waiting list of over two hundred children for permanent homes.

In a separate case, a 13-year-old in care vanished for roughly four days, briefly returning to retrieve items and explicitly stating he did not want to be found; a judge described the lack of an effective search as extremely concerning. Additional cases cited include a child hospitalized with severe injuries after a partner’s assault, highlighting risks of returning children to families with addiction and violence issues.