— seeking caring persons to become foster parents
GOVERNMENT is seeking to have the National Foster Care Programme expanded this year with the objective of ensuring the long-term goal of every child in need being placed in a family. “This is indicative of the wider government position of promoting family-based care and ensuring that, ultimately, all children are cared for in a home versus an institutional environment,” Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh said, while presenting the 2012 National Budget.
Since commissioning of the new Child Care and Protection Agency (CCPA) Secretariat in 2011, a total of 489 children have been removed from abusive situations and placed in safe homes.
Additionally, the National Foster Care Programme placed 55 children in foster homes. The Sophia Care Centre was commissioned in 2011 with capacity to accommodate 100 children, and aims to provide holistic care to young children, including specialised counselling besides music, dancing, art and craft.
Recently, the CCPA said it was awaiting the presentation of the country’s budget in order to fully move forward with its awareness programmes, aimed at attracting more persons willing to serve as foster care parents.
The agency had designated last November as Foster Care Month, with a programme of events that was planned to heighten awareness and increase the number of foster care parents.
Director of Children Services and Head of the CCPA, Ms. Ann Greene, had told the Chronicle that the situation with regard to a shortage of foster care parents remains the same at present, because the agency cannot yet move ahead with its awareness programmes, which require funding.
Nevertheless, the agency is doing what it can at a community level. Greene said staffers are going out to various communities to search for individuals who are willing to open up their hearts and homes to less fortunate children. All of the institutions are overcrowded, she observed, and children thrive better when they are in a family setting.
Greene had disclosed that there are about 700 children in institutions, and foster care is pursued as an alternative when a family fails and can no longer manage to rear children.
“A child is entitled to a family. If you (a child) can live with your own family, we will make that happen. If you cannot, then we will provide a foster care family,” Greene had assured.
Administrative Manager of Foster Care, Ms Colleen Khan, explained that foster care was a family-based option for children who could not remain with their biological parents. When necessary, she had said, the child would be temporarily placed with a surrogate family, while the agency worked to help the family with their issues.
According to Khan, the agency was encouraging people to enroll on its register by visiting the office and filling out a form. A home visit would then be conducted, background checks would be made, and foster parents would be required to do medical examinations paid for by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.
The foster care initiative was introduced in 2009, and last November marked the first time that a month had been designated specifically for its observance.