Families needed for adoption or foster care
With an increasing number of reports of abuse and neglect, people’s first reaction is often to say, “remove the child from the home!” And while this is usually the Department of Human Development’s last resort, it does happen. What becomes of the children who have to be taken away from their family, or whose family abandoned them? Mostly they go to the Children’s Home. But sometimes, if they are lucky, people with big hearts find them and give them a real home. That’s what happened with two families News Five spoke with recently. We’re hoping after you see our next story, you might just take up the challenge.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
There are 103 children government and private institutions across the country. Those who are between 5 to 14 years old were placed in government’s care after they could no longer stay in their homes, for a variety of reasons. It may be that the child was abandoned, neglected or sexually abused. Such instances are not on the decline; on the contrary, the Ministry of Human Development has been overwhelmed by an increase of child protection cases.
Roy Bowen, Director, Department of Human Development
“Specifically with regards to sexual abuse cases, we have seen it gone up five times over last year. So we’ve seen a number of these cases and not only are we trying to work with the new cases but we are also trying to manage the old ones as we go along.”
There are only four children’s homes in the country and sometimes there is just not enough space or resources to adequately provide the care that’s needed. Recently the ministry embarked on an aggressive campaign to get the community involved. Foster care families are being recruited to provide short term and long term care.
Roy Bowen
“You would want to do it for twenty four hours. So if there is an emergency pickup you might say I can do that for you or you might say do it for weekends or you might say you can do it for two weeks at a time or a month or a year or whatever. We would have at least identified such persons so therefore when a child is picked up and has to go in a home then we look at the available foster parents that we have and then we place the child within the home.”
The children are temporarily placed in a home until the ministry has successfully addressed the problem at home. However not all cases can be solved and some children cannot be reunited with
their families. Then the children are put up for adoption.
Anne and Marlon are twins; they have been in and out of the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Centre several times. Today, the twins, who are described as loving and helpful are ready for adoption and just want a family of their own. 11 year old Domingo may be shy, but he loves to sing and wanted to share one of his favorite songs with us. Like Tracy and Marlon, Domingo can’t wait until the day a family welcomes him into their home.
Domingo, 11 years old
“Sing alleluia, my Jesus is alive.”
14 year old Tracy, who attends classes at YWCA has been at the centre for one year. Although she is a teenager and knows the Ministry has a difficult time placing older children in homes, she is still optimistic that she will be adopted.
Tracy, 14 years old
“I like dancing, playing games with the small kids. I enjoy doing that. Sometimes we go on trips, that is my most favorite thing and I love sports.”
If a child like Tracy is not adopted, the ministry then provides whatever support is needed.
Roy Bowen
“We have difficulties getting children, who are older than that to be adopted so we have about 20 children right now, who are free and clear for adoption that we are trying to find adoptive parents. But it’s kind of difficult because they are older. Their ages would range between 5 and 14 and some people are saying they are too old. I don’t know if they are set in their ways, we think and we have had some experiences of people taking children who are 14 and have worked with them and I think it would be a wonderful experience.”
Families who have made the decision to either provide foster care or adopt a child all agree the rewards are great.
Ensford Maskall
“When we got together my wife had two kids and after being together for two years, we decided to have our own kid and then she got an ectopic pregnancy and she had to take a surgery and out of that she could not have any more kids.”
Today the Maskall’s has three more additions to the family, Dion, Stephanie and Keeren. Pastor Ensford and Bernadine Maskall have adopted all three children.
Ensford Maskall
“For us it has never been a real problem, maybe its because of the love that we have for each other, but our kids they don’t feel like they are adopted, it just flows. As for Keeren we have not started telling her as yet because she is too young. But my wife just ran a joke with her.”
Bernadine Maskall
“Yes, I was giving her a shower and you know I told her that she is my adoptive daughter and she said no, I am your daughter and I said okay you are my daughter.”
Ensford Maskall
“They have definitely brought joy to us because like I said they are our kids and I don’t think we could, if we had our own biological kids, that they would have been loved any different. You know and to me it’s a part of my destiny to bring up these kids.”
Although Agnes and Arthur have 12 children of their own, they could not resist welcoming Mara into their home.
Agnes Stevens
“Well the most important thing was love and trying to teach her respect for older people and the other part played by the other children, just love her and take her around and so let her feel welcomed.”
Currently most foster care parents are doing the service at no cost to government, however there are some families, who receive a monthly stipend.
Reporting for News Five, I am Jacqueline Woods.
If you would like to become a short or long term foster parent or perhaps adopt any of the children we featured in this story, contact the Department of Human Development.
