A mother of a six-year-old boy with autism and severe learning disabilities has voiced her distress, stating she has been left "shaking" and "intimidated" after her son was placed on the Child Protection Register (CPR).
Danielle McQuillan said she does not understand the reasoning behind her son Zac's registration, explaining that she had been seeking additional overnight respite care to manage his complex needs and to allow more time with her other children.
Zac, who is non-verbal, can exhibit challenging behaviors, including running away when outdoors, according to his mother. The South Eastern Health Trust, which placed Zac on the register, has been contacted for comment.
The Child Protection Register is a list of children identified as being at risk of significant harm. However, Eamonn McNally, a senior lawyer at the Children's Law Centre, noted that his organization is observing an increasing use of the CPR in cases involving children with complex disabilities and additional needs, even when those children are not considered to be at risk.
"We have a number of families with significant needs who are under extreme pressure they're at burn out because of a lack of service and support," McNally stated. "That shouldn't equate to a registration on the child protection register that should equal support being put in place to keep that family together."
When a child is placed on the CPR, social workers typically conduct unannounced visits to observe the family's daily life.