Articles
When We Were Finally Allowed to Be Children
Content note: This article discusses domestic abuse, childhood neglect and entering State care.
Articles
Articles
Leaving Care Shouldn't Mean Facing Homelessness
For many young people, turning 18 means university, work, training or taking their first steps towards independence. For a young person leaving State care, that transition can look very different. Focus Ireland has been highlighting the need for strong housing protections and continued support for young people making the transition
Articles
The Little Mammy: When a Child Becomes the Carer
Growing up as one of eight children, with an absent mother and an alcoholic and often violent father, meant that childhood didn't always look the way it should have. Instead of making friends, learning spellings for homework and playing like the other kids around the neighbourhood, I was
Articles
Open Your Hand
The first time I realised our family was different was when we became homeless. I was about six years old when my mother brought us to a women’s refuge in North Dublin. When I think back to that time, however, homelessness is not what I remember most clearly. It
Articles
The Story Behind Stories Within
There are things a child carries into care that cannot be packed into a suitcase—or, in my experience, a bin bag. These things are not always visible to the adults around them. Sorrow, fear, shame, confusion, guilt and undying loyalty are just some of the emotions a child may