Jeremy and Sasha Mushlar need a home
Tonight News 5 continues its series on children available for adoption. This time we give you the story of a brother and sister who’ve had a rough start in life. What they need now is a family to give them a sense of stability, security… and most of all, some unconditional love.
Twelve-year-old Jeremy Mushlar and eight year old Sasha Mushlar do not know what it is liked to be raised in a loving home. Their mother relinquished that responsibility when the siblings were very young. Jeremy, who has been placed in a foster home, but had to return to the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Centre, appears to be withdrawn.
Jolleen Arnold, Acting Supervisor, Child Placement
“As children get older in an institution it is more difficult for the department to find suitable families for them because they are dealing with several issues of loss of the biological mother. Being in an institution has also invaded their privacy and so forth, so it is harder for us to place older children into foster care or adoptive care.”
Both brother and sister were physically abused and left on their own. Jeremy, who was not going to school, was found sleeping on the streets. Today, the children are attending primary school and are in a safe environment. However, they both want to grow up in a family that they can trust will give them the care they really need.
Jolleen Arnold
“The mother of these children has never parented these children. She has placed them in substitute care with relatives or friends and thus the reason why they came in because they were in an abusive situation with these other caregivers.”
Since the Mushlar children have been placed at the children’s home, two more younger siblings have joined them, but they are not up for legal adoption. Child Placement and Specialized Services Acting Supervisor, Jolleen Arnold, says no matter how difficult the circumstances, she believes every child in an institution has a right to be in a family…especially Jeremy and Sasha.
Jolleen Arnold
“As the department believes family preservation is always the best, for children to be raised with their biological families. If it is not possibly for the mother to care for her child, then we will try and seek alternative placements or extended family members like grandparents and aunts and uncles. Where this is not possible, then the need is for us to identify other foster families that may be able to care for the child’s individual needs. In an institution, they may not be getting these needs addressed on a one on one attention. So it’s always best for the community and other families to help.”
As the Mushlar children wait for a family to welcome them in their home, the department continues to receive positive responses from Belizean families concerning the children already featured in News 5’s adoption series…like the Coleman children: eight-year-old Elizabeth, six-year-old Elihue, four-year-old Christopher, and two-year-old Michael.
Jolleen Arnold
“In regard to the Coleman siblings, several people have expressed interest in both Elizabeth and Michael, who is the youngest child. We’ve received more requests for Michael who is younger. I think people are more willing to foster and adopt a younger child based on their growth and development, they will be able to attach more easily than an older child.”
Jeremy say she loves to play football land Sasha is both active and playful. If possible, both children would love to be placed in the same family.
If you are interested in adopting Jeremy and Sasha Mushlar you can contact Jolleen Arnold at telephone number 227-7451.
