The State agency responsible for housing asylum seekers is introducing play areas and pre-school facilities and is improving links with youth services in some accommodation centres as part of a series of steps aimed at promoting the welfare of children.
While facilities for children have been criticised by many refugee support groups, the move is a recognition of the State's responsibilities under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Staff at the accommodation centres are being briefed on a number of other policies relating to child welfare, such as measures to promote breast-feeding and new child protection guidelines.
The Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) accommodates about 6,100 people in 75 centres across the State, a significant proportion of whom are children of pre-school age.
The breast-feeding guidelines place emphasis on the promotion of breast feeding in accommodation centres.
Under the direct provision system, accommodation and meals are provided free, while infant formula is provided for babies up to one year old. While many refugees and asylum-seekers come from countries where breast feeding is the usual practice, they may not have experienced free availability of infant formula through their maternity services.
"Evidence shows that, although these mothers are continuing to breast-feed, they tend to mix breast feeding with infant formula from very early on, which reduces the length of exclusive breast-feeding and shortens the overall duration of breast feeding, both of which can have adverse effects on their children's health," it is stated in briefing material which has been prepared for staff in the accommodation centres.
The guidelines recommend a number of measures aimed at promoting breast feeding in the accommodation centres, a step which could improve the health and nutrition of babies, according to the RIA.
Child protection guidelines are also being introduced, advising staff on how to spot suspected abuse or child trafficking. The policies will establish a tracking system in the event of child protection issues being raised.
Meanwhile, the Office of Public Works is planning to sell a property on Parnell Square, Dublin, which it bought to accommodate asylum seekers. A decline in the number of people seeking asylum here has enabled the State to terminate nine contracts with accommodation-providers in recent weeks.
