Family Courts System 'Not Child Centered' - ISPCC

One of the key issues for children in Ireland last year was parental separation and the processes surrounding it, the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC) has revealed.

Ahead of the publication of the Society's annual report and accounts for 2015, the charity said that its Childhood Support Service "experienced a huge demand" throughout 2015, working with 439 children.

One of the primary reasons for referral to the service was issues arising for children as a result of parental separation, with the processes surrounding this emerging as a source of anxiety for children.

The system of mediation, the courts process and legal process and the lack of the voice of the child in this system were all issues which came through in the service’s one to-one work with children.

Ahead of the report's publication, ISPCC Chief Executive Grainia Long said: "As the national child protection charity, we monitor carefully the issues that arise for children accessing our support services. Among many other issues affecting children accessing our services – including early sexualisation, drugs and alcohol, bullying and cyber safety – a growing concern for our childhood support workers is the impact on children of issues arising from parental separation. While relationship breakdown is difficult on everyone, there are ways in which changes to the legal system could reduce the impact on children."

The Chief Executive added that the family courts system, custody and access processes and mediation process "are not child-centered" where "the voice of the child is often not heard".

She said: "There is no early stage intervention, and so referrals often occur late in the process when cases are at extreme stages. There is a clear need to address the deficiencies in process, in the support systems available and in the courts systems that do not enable the voice of the child to be heard in these situations."

The full ISPCC Annual report will be available online following the Society's AGM.

(MH/LM)