Child Protection Services says public interest in Mary Sandy’s four children has heightened since her tragic death by accident last month, but the children are currently in the care of the government and are likely to be for another month.
Director of the Child Protection Agency, Ann Greene said “people have called” who are interested in adopting the children but the unit is exercising caution as she explained they are still in the assessment phase.
By assessment phase Greene said the unit is still conducting investigations into Sandy’s background and are in search of relatives who might be in a position to care for the children with the support of social services. The unit has an officer in Region One looking for Sandy’s parents, according to Greene.
Though a suitable foster family is the ideal situation for the children Greene said that there are procedures and the ministry is obligated to screen every family before making a decision. She emphasized that the welfare of the children is particularly important and as such they would remain in the care of social services for sometime before being handed over to a relative of a foster family.
Greene said that social services have since placed Sandy’s two-month-old baby in the care of the Red Cross Convalescent home because the home is better equipped to care for the child while the three older boys are in the care of social services. She said that the baby needs special care at this time and the Red Cross home seemed appropriate.
There is no intention to separate any of the children Greene stressed, but she pointed out that the baby needs a “different kind of care”. She explained that any family chosen to care for the children would be entrusted with all of them.
However, it is still too early to determine where the children would be placed. She said that social services is determined to conduct a thorough investigation before settling on a home for the children. She pointed out that the grandparents are being pursued because they were deemed suitable by persons close to the family.
Commenting on the father, she said that the process with him is slow because he remains in denial about his addiction to illegal substances. She noted that he is in no position to care for the children now and or in the immediate future. She added that social services intends to work with him and offer him the counseling and support that he needs, but pointed out that he has to cooperate and “show up”.
Further, she said that the ministry would accept any support, adding that interested persons can contact the Child Protection Unit at telephone number 227-4420.
The 25-year-old Sandy who mothered Andre, 4, Tyrone, 3, Anthony, 2, and two-month-old Andrew died after she was struck down at Providence, East Bank Demerara last month. Police have since charged the driver involved in the accident.
Sandy had reportedly endured domestic abuse and was forced to raise the children on her own. 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.
