09/03/2026
๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐
๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐
๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐
Tusla is ending funding for a therapeutic service in Waterford and Wexford that supports children in care, including victims of child sexual abuse, as part of its national restructuring programme.
The service, funded by Tusla for the past eight years, provides play therapy, trauma support, and assistance for children adjusting to foster or residential care placements. Staff also work with schools to deliver trauma informed training to teachers and special needs assistants.
The team consists of three play therapists and two social care leads employed through a service level agreement with St Brigidโs Family and Community Centre, while other members including a manager, nurse and adolescent psychotherapist are employed directly by Tusla. Two of the five externally funded roles have remained vacant since staff departures last year, raising concerns among remaining employees about the future of the service.
Staff and union representatives have criticised the decision, warning that it could leave vulnerable children without essential therapeutic support, particularly those engaged in therapy while reporting past sexual abuse. Workers also fear that services may be outsourced to private providers, despite an existing shortage of such services in the region.
Union Fรณrsa described the move as โvery strange,โ noting that Tuslaโs reform programme claims to expand access to therapeutic services for children in care.
Tusla said children and families currently receiving support will continue to have access to therapeutic services and that existing clients will complete their planned therapy sessions before the service ends. However, the agency did not specify what services will replace the current programme.
Staff say they have received little information about when the service will officially close, making it difficult to explain the situation to children and families currently receiving support.
