Teen Who Ran Away Will Spend Christmas with Family; Restrictions under Review
Shawn Vargas
The Department is now looking for the two adolescents still at large. Vargas said they have worked out an arrangement for the other girl, who was found, to stay with her family for the Christmas holidays. But, this will mean that the Department will also review the freedoms permitted to the residents in order to try to make them more contented while they’re at the facility.
Shawn Vargas, Director, Department of Human Services
“We have found one and she is with family members and the Department is working with that family member who is placed with, doing regular monitoring and visits and giving her the time to spend for Christmas. And I think it’s around that – the kids, because of the pandemic and we have certain restrictions in place – the level of freedom to get around, her mobility is an issue and so we’re making an effort to work on those things. We have to look at our own internal policies and look at the protection level that we are providing for the kids, noh. So that’s important for us to pay attention to.”
Marion Ali
“What about the other two?”
Shawn Vargas
“We are still searching for them – well the Police Department is helping us, the Department, in terms of locating them. We’ve gotten sightings and information as to where they are but the Police Department, they follow up on all the tips and of them and to every time we go, it’s futile. So, we just have to wait on the Police Department in this aspect.”
Marion Ali
“So, we could rest assure that they are safe and not really missing?”
Shawn Vargas
“I am hoping that is the case. I don’t think that they’re missing to the point that – we don’t know where they are, but from our tips, they are with family. So when they go to the home that we get the information where they are at, they move to a different family. So, they’re always a step ahead of us. But it’s not (that they are) missing to the fact that we don’t know exactly if they’re safe or something to that effect. What we’re looking at is more time for them to go out, but of course, we have to put them out with supervision and that is an issue and we have to look at the crowd, the number of persons in the areas where they’re going. We’re giving them park visits, we’re giving them outings but we’re not giving them outings in crowded areas and they cannot go along, they have to go with supervision. So that’s part of the liberties we’re trying to improve on.”
