Child Protection Services has rescued Mary Sandy’s two-month-old baby following her death by accident on Wednesday, and is currently monitoring her other three children who are temporarily in the custody of a neighbour.
The decision to intervene stemmed from concern for the welfare of Sandy’s children and questions being raised about the father’s suitability.
Director of the Child Protection Agency, Ann Greene said yesterday that the father is in no condition to care for the children though he means well. She said that he is in need of counselling, which the agency will provide, to tackle his addiction to illegal substances.
Greene underscored the father’s current condition and observed that social services cannot leave Sandy’s four young children in a precarious situation.
She said that social services agreed to leave Sandy’s three children with a neighbour who was genuinely concerned and who had been involved in the children’s lives prior to the mother’s death. She said too that the children are only in the neighbour’s care for a few days and are expected to be in the custody of the Human Services Ministry by sometime next week.
Commenting on how the agency intends to move forward, she said, that officers at the ministry are actively searching for any relative of Sandy who is in a position to care for the children, adding that the key aim is to find an appropriate environment for the children.
She emphasized that the agency would make a thorough assessment before placing Sandy’s children in the care of anyone including relatives. She said too that social services has committed to checking in daily on the three children who are with the neighbour.
Since Sandy’s funeral was yesterday officers at the ministry used the opportunity to locate relatives and according to Greene, they are hoping to find someone who is suitable.
Greene had indicated earlier that social services would offer some assistance to relatives or any individual who agrees to take care of children in vulnerable situations. She has also long advocated for children to be with families rather than in the system.
The 25-year-old Sandy who mothered Andre, 4, Tyrone, 3, Anthony, 2, and two-month-old Andrew died after she was struck down on Wednesday morning at Providence, East Bank Demerara. Police have since detained the driver and charges are expected to be laid shortly.
Sandy had reportedly endured domestic abuse and was forced to raise the children almost singlehandedly. The husband had described their circumstances as “difficult” in an interview with this newspaper. The family lived in a shack under deplorable conditions at Providence.
