Children First Guidance
Children First Guidance
Children First: National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children was first published in 1999 and has been revised and updated a number for times since, most recently in 2017. The key messages of the guidance have remained unchanged. The guidance seeks to assist people to recognise where a child is being abused or neglected, and to report reasonable concerns about abuse or neglect to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The guidance also assists organisations working with children with information about best practice in child safeguarding.
The most recent version of the Children First Guidance in 2017 also incorporates information on the Children First Act 2015 and in particular, sets out the specific child protection statutory obligations imposed on certain categories of persons and organisations under that Act.
For more information on specific aspects of the Guidance and of the Children First Act 2015 please refer to the FAQs section.
Children First Launch - Press Statements and Speeches
Child Protection and Welfare Practice Handbook
The Child Protection and Welfare Handbook was launched in 2011, to coincide with the launch of the revised Children First Guidance in that year. The handbook sets out detailed practice for Tusla social workers in managing child welfare and protection referrals, and is intended to support the work of social workers and provide an infomration resource for relevant practitioners dealing with child welfare and protection cases.
