There is a new service being provided by Barnardos, the Barnardos Boarded Out Practical Support Service for Adults.
The aim of this service is to provide practical supports to adults who have been boarded out, nursed out or fostered prior to the Child Care Act 1991.
The service will offer a wide range of practical supports including:
- Support with access to health, community and social services
- Support with isolation and loneliness
- Assistance in filling out forms and grant applications
- Advocacy, information and signposting
- Referral to Barnardos therapeutic supports
This is a free and confidential service where Barnardos can visit service users in their homes and communities or offer support over the phone.
This national service is available to any adult who has been boarded out as a child prior to the Child Care Act 1991.
Boarded Out is a term used to describe children who were fostered or raised with families other than their own in Ireland.
This happened mainly between 1920 and 1970. There was also a practice of being nursed out, where infants were placed with women who could care for them. Older children were also boarded out. Some children were boarded out up to the introduction of the 1991 Child Care Act. While many children were boarded out on farms in rural areas, children were also placed in homes in larger towns and cities.
If you would like more information you can contact the Barnardos Boarded Out Practical Support Service for Adults Project Coordinator Natalie Johnson by phone 086 168 15 11 or email at
If you would like to make a referral to this service, you can do so by contacting any of of the Barnardos centres, or emailing Barnardos at
