McCare's children's residential service runs across Ireland. There are two distinct referral pathways into the homes: mainstream placements via Tusla's National Placement Team, and dedicated homes for separated children seeking international protection. The model, the team, and the approach are the same in both.
Knowing which pathway applies decides who makes the referral. It doesn't change the model of care, the team a young person works with, or the home they move into.
Pathway one
Residential care for young people whose placement is arranged through Tusla's National Placement Team. The placement team assesses each young person's needs against the homes that have availability. We don't accept direct mainstream referrals from outside the NPT.
Referral via
Tusla · National Placement Team
Pathway two
Dedicated homes for separated children seeking international protection in Ireland. Referrals come through Tusla's dedicated team for these young people, not through the general placement route, and the homes are set up specifically for this cohort.
Referral via
Tusla · Dedicated referral team
The pathway in changes who you talk to first. Everything after that is shared.
Both pathways move into McCare residential homes across Ireland. We do not run separate buildings for separate referral routes.
Each home has a named manager and a small consistent care team. The team a young person works with is the team in the home, not pathway-specific.
GROUND → GROWTH is the model of care that underwrites every placement. It bends to the young person rather than the other way around.
All children's residential services are registered with and inspected by Tusla, and aligned to HIQA National Standards. Inspection reports are published openly.
Our residential and aftercare services follow a model we call GROUND → GROWTH: trauma-informed but non-clinical, built around safety, relationships, and pace.
Disability services run on a separate Positive Behaviour Support framework. Both are person-centred, evidence-informed, and aligned to HIQA national standards.
Outcomes are individualised, relationally supported, and measured where it makes sense, never reduced to a number on a dashboard.
Trained in. Supervised against. Returned to under pressure.
Read the full modelOne short form, one inbox, read by the senior team. Whether you're a family thinking about a placement, a referrer, or someone considering a role with us, this is the way in. Most enquiries get a personal response within two working days. Sensitive details belong on a secure call rather than a web form; we'll set that up once we've made contact.
Direct contact
Phone
Where we work
All of Ireland
