The Foster Care Unit

FOSTER Care? What is it and what does is entail? How does it help our nation’s children and what does it take to be a good Foster Parent? This month is Foster Care Month, so all these questions will be answered over the coming weeks. On 4 minutes 4 change today, we would like to introduce the team that runs the Foster Care Unit at the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA). The unit is run by Manager Ms. Colleen Khan, with Ms. Maikoo, Ms. Myles, Ms. Meusa and Ms. Ali working alongside her to provide adequate care for children who need protection.

The fact that the unit is manned by five females is not by design. Miss Maikoo, a Senior Probation and Social Services Officer, explained that there had previously been a male Child Protection Officer working in the unit for three years. Ms. Maikoo joined the Foster Care Unit in November 2013, though the unit itself has been up and running effectively since 2010.

The wonderful and caring staffers of the Foster Care Unit

Ms. Maikoo says, ‘Most people would presume that Foster Care is just about finding suitable foster parents to care for children but that aspect, although important, is only part of the job. Our ultimate goal is to have children live with their biological families, so we have to keep working towards that goal and of course this means that there are many other elements to our job and roles that we fulfil. My passion to help children and my commitment to the cause is what drive me and keep me focused on my work.’

Ms.Myles is a Probation and Social Services Officer attached to the Foster Care Unit. She joined the team in 2015 after working at various Government entities. Each officer is assigned to different areas of Guyana. Ms. Myles works specifically with West Berbice and the East Coast, which requires a lot of travelling. ‘My travelling requires me to visit the schools and homes that foster children attend and live in, to ensure that they are being cared for in a safe and adequate environment. Keeping checks on the children in foster homes is mandatory’.

Ms. Myles continued, ‘Some home visits are scheduled, but some are unannounced: the unannounced visits enable us to see the home environment in its’ natural state. This is necessary if we are going to protect our children effectively. It is a big responsibility taking care of other people’s children, but it keeps us alert and on our toes.’

Ms. Ali is the newest member of the foster care team having only worked in the unit for a year and three months. She concluded her university internship at the CPA, therefore she already had an idea of what the job involved. She said she was very excited to get a job at the Agency and would have worked in a hospital if it hadn’t worked out. ‘I find the job both challenging and rewarding; challenging because of the barriers that spring up before us on a daily basis in our line of duty: you really cannot predict or foresee what they might be. And rewarding because at the end of the day I would have made a difference in a child’s life, or helped a family get their children back… It’s a good feeling.’

Probation and Social Services officer Ms.Meusa says she did not choose her job, the job chose her. The definition of her ‘Christian’ name, ‘Monique’ means ‘counsellor, giver of good advice’ and that is the role she seeks to fulfil daily in her job at the Foster Care Unit. ’Ms. Meusa says, ‘Working in the Foster Care Unit is awesome, but you really have to be selfless because certain aspects of the job can be hard. For instance, there are times when you have to detach yourself from some of the cases in order to do the job effectively; you cannot allow your emotions to get the better of you. The overall consolation is knowing that you are working on behalf of a child and in that child’s best interest.

Manager Colleen Khan concluded, ‘We have Foster Parents in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and 10, with approximately 191 children being fostered. However, there are still hundreds of children in formal care, so we are always happy to receive applications from competent, caring adults: adults who understand that children need encouragement, nurturing, guidance and protection in order to achieve a fulfilled and rounded childhood…adults who truly care.’

If you are concerned about the welfare of a child call the Childcare and Protection Hotline on 227 0979 or write to us at childcaregy@gmail.com
A message from the Childcare and Protection Agency, Ministry of Social Protection

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