Protection Agency mulls foster care

Jun 10, 2011 News

The shack from which the abandoned children were rescued.

– mother still a no-show

Even with the publicity the matter has received, the mother of three children who were abandoned in a shack at Timehri, since last Saturday, has not yet surfaced.
The three children, a boy and two girls, whose ages are six and three years and six weeks old, were rescued by two female ranks of the Police Force on Monday and handed over to the Child Protection Agency of the Ministry of Human Services the following day.
They remain in the care of the state under the watchful eye of the Guyana Red Cross.
Head of the Child Protection Agency, Ann Greene, told this newspaper yesterday that her department is in the process of doing an assessment to determine the circumstances surrounding the abandoning of the children.
“Right now (Child Protection) Officers are visiting the (Timehri) area doing investigations. We have to find out the risk factors and establish a care plan for the children,” Greene told Kaieteur News.
According to Greene, the children have been deemed fairly healthy following pediatric tests which were performed on them.
“The baby showed signs of neglect like diaper rash, but nothing serious. We have full responsibility over them,” Greene explained, adding that

The conditions in which the children were left.

the Agency will soon be looking for a foster home for the children, especially the baby.
“The baby is too small to remain in an environment like that (Red Cross).”
On Saturday, last, the children’s mother had left them in the care of a 66-year-old physically challenged male foster relative, while she reportedly went to purchase snacks at a shop. However, the woman has not been seen since.
Kaieteur News understands that it was the elderly relative who contacted the police at Timehri, since he was unable to care for the children, especially the six-week-old.
Greene pointed out that the even if the children’s mother shows up soon, she will not be able to collect her children immediately.
“We can’t hand them back to the mother just like that. She just can’t show up this afternoon and say she wants her children back.”
Greene stated that the child protection agency will work with the mother if she shows up to see “if we could get to the point where they (children) can go back with her.”
“Alternatively, we will have to find a foster family for them,” Greene said.