More than 5,500 children are spending their summer holidays living in emergency accommodation, new research reveals.
A Focus Ireland report shows 5,583 children without a home during the extended school break, with nearly 17,500 people in total living in emergency accommodation in Ireland, children accounting for more than one third of that number, reports The Mirror.
The revelation comes as Focus Ireland launches its “Shine A Light” campaign, asking business leaders, companies, schools and communities to sleep out and raise funds for children without a home.
The event will take place nationwide on 9 October, the eve of World Homelessness Day, with the charity hoping to raise €1.2 million in vital funds to support families experiencing homelessness as demand on their services continues to grow, reports The Mirror.
Psychologists Dr Sharon Lambert and Dr Ger Scanlon outlined how summer homelessness and time spent in emergency accommodation create particular stresses for families and prevent children from enjoying typical childhood experiences such as playdates and sleepovers.
Dr Lambert, who works closely with families in homelessness nationwide, said childhood experiences of summer are often severely compromised for children in emergency accommodation and may contribute to increased distress and disrupted developmental milestones, reports The Mirror.
She explained: “Everything that you consider in terms of a summer and what children ought to be doing in summer is at risk of being massively disrupted because of the instability and uncertainty associated with experiencing homelessness. Even very simple things that people take for granted, like a playdate or a sleepover. Children who are in homelessness accommodation cannot have their friends around to play or sleepover.
“There are aspects to child development that are important, and social and emotional development often happens in the context of play and friendships. Disruptions to friendships and play can be very stressful for children. Essentially, children in homelessness could be missing out on these important developmental milestones or at least, those important developmental milestones are being disrupted,” reports The Mirror.
Research shows that children in emergency accommodation are at increased risk of anxiety, developmental delays and disrupted education, with families housed in emergency hubs often moving between multiple temporary locations, leading to instability, isolation and loss of community ties for parents and children.
Dr Scanlon said: “Children who are experiencing homelessness are not living in a stable home and don’t have the opportunity to have friends over to share novel experiences.
TheLiberal.ie won’t quit
Please support us with a small donation on PayPal!
“A lot of children experiencing homelessness are experiencing poverty as well. Participating in social activities with peers may have been facilitated through school but when that network is closed for the Summer then that becomes a different space.
“Being left out of a group, and not being part of a shared experience can have a negative impact on children and they may find it hard to navigate that return to school in September where their peers are recalling their shared summer activities. This may lead to them being further marginalised from the wider group and socially isolated,” reports The Mirror.
Focus Ireland says child homelessness is a crisis that can be brought to an end if society chooses to act.
Launching Shine A Light, Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said: “The number of children in homelessness is often spoken about as if it were just a statistic. It’s not. It represents a generation growing up in crisis. Shine A Light is a national response to a national crisis. We believe no child should have to endure the trauma of homelessness.
“That’s why we’re asking you to join us this October, to sleep out for Shine A Light, proudly supported by Sisk, to raise funds for services which keep people in their homes, support children in crisis, and provide pathways out of homelessness,” reports The Mirror.
Speaking about the impact of spending a childhood summer in homelessness, Mr Dennigan added: “Schools are now closed for the summer. Families and children are excited for holidays, adventures, and time with friends.
“But for children experiencing homelessness, summer can mean uncertainty, isolation and missing out on the moments that make childhood special. For families living without a home, the school holidays can bring additional pressure.
“Parents are often juggling the daily realities of homelessness while trying to provide a normal summer. That is why Shine A Light is so important. Every person who signs up and fundraises helps provide vital support for children and families experiencing homelessness. To create opportunities for children to learn, play and simply be children. By helping parents move towards a secure place to call home,” reports The Mirror.
Mother of three Callie Culligan spent almost three years in emergency accommodation with her children, with her youngest child born into homelessness, and says summer in emergency accommodation is the hardest time of the year.
The 28-year-old said: “Summer was a lot more challenging because you didn’t have anything to do. The routine was gone.
“When the kids were in school during term time, it gave me something to do. I was two and a half hours away from the school on public transport and I still got up every day to get there, because I needed that routine,” reports The Mirror.
After three summers in hotels and homelessness hubs, Callie finally secured a home of her own last September with the support of Focus Ireland, and recalls the first time a group of friends called over to play with her daughter.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
