Appointment of the Board of the Family Support AgencyMs. Norah Gibbons, Chairperson of the Family Support Agency and Chairperson-designate of the Child and Family Agency, to-day welcomed the appointment of the new Board of the Family Support Agency by Ms. Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children & Youth Affairs.
Pending the legal establishment of the Child and Family Agency, the newly-appointed board of the Family Support Agency will, in addition to its existing functions, provide oversight and direction to the organisational preparations which are under way for the new Child and Family Agency.
Ms. Gibbons stated: “I am pleased that we have such a broad range of skills and experience available on this Board to take forward the development of the new Child and Family Agency. The establishment of the Child and Family Agency, dedicated to children and families, represents the most ambitious and comprehensive reform of child and family services ever undertaken in Ireland. There is a real opportunity to recast child welfare (in its broadest sense), child protection and family support services into a unified continuum from prevention to targeted specialised intervention. The new Agency, which will align key services to children and families into a single, cohesive integrated and accountable delivery system, is a very welcome development towards modernising our child welfare and protection services.”
The establishment of the Child and Family Agency, which brings together a wide range of child and family centered services, represents very significant public service reform; involving 4,000 staff across three existing agencies and a budget of €570million approx.
Ms. Gibbons added: “Clearly the establishment of the Child and Family Agency is an ambitious undertaking. The leadership for the Agency is now almost fully in place under the stewardship of Gordon Jeyes, CEO-designate. In bringing together a range of services including prevention, early intervention, family support and child protection we must ensure that no existing synergies are lost and that more opportunities for collaborative working are established as the Agency moves forward. We must also ensure that the best interests of children are central to everything the new Agency does; that their voices are heard at every stage and that the focus of the Agency’s work is on outcomes for children.”
Ms. Gibbons concluded by saying: “I am greatly honoured to have been proposed by Minister Frances Fitzgerald, TD, both as Chairperson of the existing Family Support Agency and as first Chairperson of the Board of the Child and Family Agency. I am committed to working with the Minister, with the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, with my newly appointed fellow Board members, with Gordon Jeyes and his staff and indeed with all those involved across all sectors working with children, families and communities to both ensure a smooth transition of the Family Support Agency and to achieve what we all want; an Agency fit-for-purpose and delivering quality services for children and families in Ireland. I see this as a challenging and ambitious undertaking and one that must succeed”
Note to editor:
The Child and Family Agency Bill 2013 was introduced to the Dáil by Minister Fitzgerald on July 17th The Bill provides that the Child and Family Agency will assume responsibility for a range of services from Establishment Day. These services include:
- Child Welfare and Protection Services, including family support services;
- Existing Family Support Agency responsibilities;
- Existing National Educational Welfare Board responsibilities;
- Pre-school Inspection Services;
- Domestic, sexual and gender based violence services; and
- Services related to the psychological welfare of children.