The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has today published two inspection reports on the foster care services operated by the Child and Family Agency (Tusla) in the Donegal and Sligo Leitrim West Cavan service areas.

HIQA conducted inspections of foster care services in Sligo Leitrim West Cavan in February 2025 and in Donegal in March 2025. These inspections examined the promotion of children’s rights, the quality of children’s assessments of need, and how these assessments informed the matching of children with foster carers. In addition, HIQA assessed how children are protected from abuse and neglect and the management and monitoring of the foster care services, including the availability of a range of suitable foster carers. 

Of the six national standards assessed, the Donegal service area was found to be compliant with two standards and substantially compliant with four standards. In the Sligo Leitrim West Cavan service area, two standards were compliant, two were substantially compliant and two were not compliant.

In both service areas, inspectors found that children’s rights were respected and promoted. Children were encouraged to participate in decisions about their lives. The services made efforts to ensure the best possible match for children and foster carers, where possible. However, the national shortage of foster carers meant that finding the best suitable match for children could be difficult at times in both areas. 

In Sligo Leitrim West Cavan, the inspection found that safeguarding practices in respect of An Garda Síochana vetting renewals for foster carers and adult children of foster carers required improved monitoring, oversight and governance. Improvements were also required in the tracking and management of children awaiting approval of their long-term placements with foster carers, as well as ensuring all foster carers had completed training in Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children (2017). While there were governance arrangements and management structures in place, improvements were required in the oversight and management of the service, as demonstrated by the above, but also due to audits not being routinely completed and supervision not occurring in line with policy.  

In Donegal, the foster care service had systems in place to protect children from abuse. However, increased levels of oversight were required to ensure all foster carers were aware of their role as mandated persons. The area also had significantly high numbers of children who were not related to each other placed in the same foster care home, which is not line with the national standards. There were clearly-defined governance and oversight systems in place that set out lines of authority and accountability. Overall, the quality assurance systems in place were effective, though some systems required more effective oversight from management, such as the frequency and recording of supervision.

Note:     

• HIQA is authorised by the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality under Section 69 of the Child Care Act 1991, as amended by Section 26 of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011, to inspect foster care services provided by Tusla, as well as, non-statutory foster care services taking care of a child on behalf of Tusla, and to report on its findings to the Minister. HIQA monitors foster care services against the National Standards for Foster Care (2003).