A cohort of nearly 11,000 persons was traced over 8 years to determine those who had moved from family care and those who had remained. The majority (85%) continued to live with families, and, for two thirds (67%), no future move was deemed necessary. The 2 main predictors of moving were as follows: A need had been previously recorded and the…

Background: Specialist short break services aim to provide enhanced support to family carers as a means of preventing children whose behaviours severely challenge from being placed in full-time residential care. To date, there is limited evidence as to the functioning and effectiveness of such services. Methods: In all, 17 children were selected…

Background: Respite or short breaks are frequently sought by parents and demand for them usually exceeds their availability. Methods: Using data from a national database in Ireland of around 16 000 persons living with family carers, the availability of overnight respite provision was monitored over an 8-year period along with the recorded needs…