Chapter 14 — Children’s Homes

Witnesses

The length of time witnesses reported being in out-of-home care ranged from one to 18 years, as shown in Table 71:

Length of stay in care	Males	Females	Total witnesses
0–5 years	4	2	6
6–10 years	14	8	22
11–15 years	18	10	28
16–18 years	2	3	5
Total	38	23	61

The average length of stay was 11 years for female witnesses and seven and a half years for male witnesses. Fifty five (55) witnesses spent more than six years in out-of-home care. A number of witnesses reported being transferred to other institutions and did not spend the entire period of their residential care in Children’s Homes.

The following table displays the age at discharge of witnesses who reported abuse in Children’s Homes:

Age when discharged	Males	Females	Total witnesses
<10 years	1	1	2
10–13 years	11	5	16
14–16 years	19	9	28
17+ years	7	8	15
Total	38	23	61

Fourteen (14) witnesses, 12 male and two female, reported being transferred from Children’s Homes to Industrial Schools. Nine (9) of those were transferred prior to the 1960s. The majority of these witnesses, who were discharged when they were aged between 14 and 16 years, had spent over nine years in out-of-home care. In general, male witnesses were transferred from Children’s Homes to senior Industrial Schools at 10 years of age.

A small number of witnesses who remained in Children’s Homes after 17 years of age reported being assisted with education and training. Others described being supported by the staff and continued to reside in the Homes until they were settled in accommodation and employment, during the 1980s and 1990s.

Everyday life in children’s homes

This section presents the information provided by 61 witnesses regarding aspects of their every day life in Children’s Homes, including education, work, health and recreation. The witnesses’ descriptions of everyday life in these Homes differed from accounts heard of Industrial Schools in a number of aspects. The physical structure of the Homes was generally smaller, there were fewer residents, and, with few exceptions, admission was on a voluntary basis. Further, in a number of Children’s Homes witnesses reported being encouraged and supported to attend second-level education and more often commented that professionally trained lay childcare workers were employed since the 1970s.6

Witnesses reported that, prior to the 1970s, classroom education was generally provided within the Children’s Homes and in boarding schools located on the same site. Witnesses also reported attending primary, secondary and vocational schools in the local community. Those who attended off-site schools reported that they valued the opportunity to mix with pupils from the local community and the contact it provided with the outside world.

With the exception of one female witness, all the witnesses gave accounts of attending primary school and the majority attained their Primary Certificate.7

Twenty three (23) witnesses, 14 male and nine female, reported that they received second-level education, 10 of whom succeeded in attaining their Intermediate/Junior, Leaving or Group Certificates. Others obtained secretarial and technical qualifications with the support of religious and lay staff from the Homes.

The diet in the period prior to the 1970s was typically described as porridge for breakfast with either tea or cocoa, potatoes with meat and vegetables for the midday meal, and bread and tea for the evening meal. A number of witnesses who were admitted in the 1960s and remained in Homes throughout the 1970s reported improvements in the quality and availability of a more nourishing and varied diet during that period.

The Committee heard evidence from witnesses of the health care provided to them in Children’s Homes, with improvements in the availability and range of services in more recent decades. Thirty eight (38) witnesses reported receiving some type of medical attention including attendance by a doctor or a nurse, treatment in the infirmary, and immunisation. Sixteen (16) witnesses described being attended by a family doctor. Accounts were heard of infirmaries or sick bays being available in 10 Homes. Eighteen (18) witnesses reported attending hospital for illnesses including: scarlet fever, appendicitis, diphtheria, and rheumatic fever. Six (6) other witnesses reported attendance at outpatient clinics or hospital casualty departments for various reasons including the investigation of physical illness, treatment for accidental and non-accidental injuries, and assessment at child and adolescent mental health services.

Forty (40) witnesses reported being involved in some form of work while resident in the Children’s Homes. The majority of these accounts related to the period prior to the 1970s. Witnesses described performing domestic tasks such as cleaning, polishing and working in the convent, and in a small number of instances serving meals to visiting priests. Other witnesses reported working for what they believed was the commercial gain of religious congregations including work in laundries, on farms, and in homes for the elderly.

Witnesses from a small number of the Children’s Homes gave accounts of undertaking domestic chores in fee-paying boarding schools attached to the convents; some commented on the apparent inequality of their circumstances by contrast with pupils in those schools.

Six (6) female witnesses reported providing care for infants and younger residents in the Children’s Homes. Some witnesses described these responsibilities as inappropriate for their age due to their lack of emotional maturity, the inadequacy of their own care, and the lack of supervision or support provided by staff.

Fifty four (54) witnesses commented on the various opportunities provided for play and recreation. Activities included outings to the sea, cinema, and the availability of television, books and toys. Other types of recreation included Irish dancing, Sunday walks and participation in Gaelic games. Many witnesses reported being encouraged by staff to participate in sport and other recreational activities.