EPIC, Empowering People in Care

17/06/2026

Happy Pride Month! 😄

EPIC’s Youth Council have been busy getting Pride ready by creating their own banner and T-shirts for Dublin's Pride parade 🌈

Inspired by this year’s theme, "One story, many voices", their banner carries a powerful message: “They kept our story secret, now we scream it in the street.” 📢

Pride is about visibility, community, and making sure every young person feels supported to be who they are. We are proud to help bring the Care Community together celebrate and support LGBTQ+ care experienced young people 💜

15/06/2026

It has been 5 years since we launched our Coming Out in Care and Gender Identity leaflets! 😊

Coming out or figuring out who you are can be a challenge, and coming out in care can bring extra layers. Created by LGBTQI+ care-experienced young people, these resources are here to support you in understanding your identity, knowing your rights and finding support 🫶

This Pride Month, we are proud to highlight these resources and the voices of the young people who created them, continuing to support others in care to feel seen, heard and understood 🌈

Check out the leaflets: www.epiconline.ie/lgbti-resources/

29/05/2026

Thomas and Katie were thrilled to be invited by a young person to Ballydowd Special Care Unit to celebrate the end of their Play All May challenge 👏

Play All May included daily participation in fun, active experiences from trikes and pogo sticks to exploring new ways of moving and building confidence 😊

The celebration brought together staff, young people living in special care and EPIC’s YEP team members, making it a really positive shared moment 🫶

With a BBQ, ice cream van and bouncy castle, it was a joyful day for everyone involved 💜

23/05/2026

“We’re very resilient. If I’m having a bad day, I’m like, ‘Well, I’ve come this far.’”

Four members of the EPIC Youth Council - Anisa, Andrea, Princess and Kai - spoke with Patrick Freyne for The Irish Times about their experiences growing up in care and their work advocating for other young people.

The piece highlights their voices and their work to promote better understanding, stronger supports and positive change for care-experienced children and young people.

Pick up a copy of The Irish Times today or, if you are a subscriber, read the piece online here: www.irishtimes.com/life-style/people/2026/05/23/growing-up-in-care-i-remember-a-lot-of-people-not-being-allowed-to-be-friends-with-me-in-school/

22/05/2026

Earlier this week, EPIC joined colleagues from IInclusion Irelandto present to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability on the need for advocacy services for children with disabilities.

Drawing on our advocacy work, EPIC CEO Wayne Stanley set out the gaps we consistently see for children and young people in care with a disability. These include late and inconsistent planning, uneven access to services and unclear pathways, particularly during transition into adulthood and aftercare.

Independent advocacy plays a vital role in addressing these challenges. It ensures children’s views are central to decision making, strengthens coordination across services and supports better, more sustainable outcomes.

Every child in care should have a statutory right to access an independent advocate, should they so wish. EPIC supports the introduction of a representative advocacy service for all children with a disability more generally.

As Wayne said: “Investing in advocacy is not an additional burden on the system - it is a practical mechanism for improving how the system functions.”

Read our full presentation on our website: https://www.epiconline.ie/news/joint-committee-on-disability-matters-may-2026/

21/05/2026

EPIC's CEO, Wayne Stanley, was delighted to attend the launch of the Ombudsman for Children's Office’s 2025 Annual Report this morning 😊

EPIC welcomes and supports the important work of the OCO in promoting and upholding the rights of children and young people across Ireland, including children and young people in care 🤝

This year’s report theme, Children’s Rights in the Balance, is an important reminder that children’s rights must be consistently protected and prioritised in legislation, policy and practice.

We welcome in particular the OCO’s ongoing commitment to making children’s rights real through the full and direct incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into Irish law.

To read the report, visit: https://www.oco.ie/library/2025-annual-report-childrens-rights-in-the-balance/

20/05/2026

It’s Traveller Pride Week 🙌 This week celebrates and promotes the Traveller community’s unique contribution to Irish society, while challenging the discrimination and prejudice Travellers continue to face.

At EPIC, we work with Traveller children and young people and believe every child and young person deserves to feel seen, valued and respected 💜

Traveller Pride Week 2026 runs from May 18th to the 29th. Events are happening nationwide, celebrating culture, identity and community. Find one near you:
https://www.travellerprideweek.org/

19/05/2026

12/05/2026

The Department of Education and Youth brought people together over the weekend for the second Convention on Education, all about shaping the future of education in Ireland 😊

Our Education Project Manager, Tara Madden, was there representing EPIC, bringing care-experienced perspectives and views into the heart of these conversations 🙌

There were great discussions on inclusion, belonging, mental health and wellbeing, digital technology and AI, and supporting the education workforce, all key to building a system that works for children and young people 💜

Looking forward to the next session in September!

Government of Ireland

07/05/2026

Child protection and safeguarding must remain at the centre of how the State responds to age-disputed young people seeking international protection.

Responding to reports that almost 300 asylum seekers who initially claimed to be children were later determined to be adults, EPIC recognises both the complexity of age assessment processes and the serious consequences of getting decisions wrong.

“It is important that the conversation does not lose sight of vulnerable children seeking protection who may be wrongly treated as adults and placed into adult accommodation settings without the care and supports they need,” said Wayne Stanley, CEO of EPIC.

Research with young people and frontline professionals found that some children whose ages were disputed were placed in adult accommodation, emergency settings and, in some cases, homelessness while awaiting decisions.

As more young people arrive into the system, robust and properly resourced age assessment processes, improved interagency communication and continued investment in trauma-informed supports are essential.

Read our full statement: https://www.epiconline.ie/news/media-statement-age-assessments/

https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/social-affairs/2026/05/07/almost-300-asylum-seekers-claiming-to-be-children-were-found-to-be-adults-oireachtas-committee-told/

Tusla says age assessment of unaccompanied minors has been an issue of significant risk in recent years