Numerous investigation reports have documented how fragmented services have failed to meet the needs of children. It is crucial that certain services for children are now realigned from across a number of agencies into a single comprehensive, integrated and accountable agency for children and families, the Child and Family Support Agency (CFSA). The Task Force’s vision for the Child and Family Support Agency is that it will, under the direction of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, provide leadership to relevant statutory and non-statutory agencies, to ensure that the conditions needed for children’s well-being and development are fulfilled. The Task Force’s ‘vision for a quality Irish childhood’ is relevant to and intended to encompass all organisations, agencies and sectors that provide services to children, young people and their families.

Key reforms to be progressed by the Agency include:
• The creation of multidisciplinary local teams.
• The streamlining of local services under one local manager.
• The establishment of a single, consistent mechanism for assessment, referrals and tracking supported by a new child protection notification system.