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Child Protection Agency urges hinterland residents to open homes to abused children
The Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) is urging residents of the hinterland regions to open their homes to abused children.
Director of CPA, Ann Greene
Yesterday, during the Kaieteur Radio programme ‘Social Issues and You’ two social workers from the CPA revealed that the institution is plighted with finding foster parents and/or homes in Regions 1, 9, 7, 9 and 10—in the cases of childcare emergencies.
One of the social workers, Monique Meusa, stated that on several occasions the childcare agency received reports of child abuse from those areas, and that child would have to be flown out from their villages to the City of Georgetown for safety purposes.
She continued, “When we bring them here it is something completely different for them, it is a whole new culture. So if we can have someone who can open up their home while we work on getting homes on those ends it would be great. This is why we are encouraging persons to become foster parents; to open group homes in these areas so that these children would not be completely disrupted from what they are accustomed to.”
It is in this regard that Meusa is encouraging citizens “to open up their hearts and their homes to these children, even if it is for a week or two nights”.
Ira Ali, the other social worker, stated that these foster parents would act as the second parents and the guardians who officially take a child into their family for a period of time, until they can be reintegrated with their biological families.
“They open up their homes and they have the children reside with them; they get support from the agency where they monitor and assist them in caring for that child or children,” Ali stated.
She continued by shedding light on the requirements needed to pass in order to become a foster parent. “You fill out an application form, you fill out a copy of identification card and two character references, we issue you a medical letter so you can get a medical done at the hospital, and then expense is covered by the agency.
We conduct a home and community assessment to determine the living conditions are safe and conducive for that child to live in. After that has been completed we prepare a report and present it to the Director of the CPA, she approves and then we match you with a child.”
Every child that is placed in a foster home, according to the social workers, is assigned with a social worker. Regular checks are conducted at the school, home, and there are unannounced visits.
“We speak to the child about if they are being treated well and living comfortable—if their needs are being met overall,” Mesua related.
Meusa went on to say that the advantages of foster care provide the child with one-on-one attention. “In the homes there are approximately 40 children and there are only 10 caregivers so there is an uneven ratio. But in a foster home you have that one on one, there is closeness and a family based setting, You [the foster parent] are given the chance to individualize the love and personality of that child,” she explained.
However, she related that the agency does not completely isolate the child from family members, unless they pose a great threat, for instance in the case of sexual abuse. She expressed that the CPA still encourages family bonding through visits by the parents, some of which may be supervised.
“The children who are in need of counseling and therapy, we currently have a psychologist at the agency and we network with other agencies; the Child Advocacy Centre, Blossom Inc. Child Link work along with probation officers to render assistance in counseling, monitoring the children,” Meusa explained.
There are currently 198 children in foster care along with 124 foster parents in Regions 3, 4, 5, 6 and10 thus far.
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