Three children were reunited with their mother recently, just over two years after they were removed from her mother’s custody because of abuse.
Head of the Child Care and Protection Agency (CC&PA) Anne Greene recently told Stabroek News that the agency was happy with the progress the mother made during the years and felt comfortable to return the children to her care.
“The mother has gotten her life together and she has since married and has the means of taking care of the children,” Greene had told this newspaper. She stated that officers from the agency met with the mother and her husband and the man understood the responsibility of taking the children to live with him and he seemed ready for the challenge.
In June 2010, the children were removed from their mother’s custody after one of the children, then five-years-old, was burnt with hot water by a man with whom his mother then shared a relationship. The man had taken the children to a West Demerara day care centre, where it was immediately realised that the older child had burns to his face. An official of the clinic had said that when questioned, the man explained that the child had an accident. But when the child was questioned, he said that he was burnt with hot water and the police were immediately contacted. As soon as the lawmen arrived, they were forced to rush the child to a hospital for treatment.
The man was charged and the children—the others were three years and one year at the time— placed in the state’s care, before being returned to their mother a short while after. They were, however, again removed after it was learnt that the woman had continued the relationship with the man and had moved him back into her home, fuelling concerns about endangerment. At the time, Greene had threatened that charges could be instituted against the woman, under Section 49 of the Protection of Children Act, which states: “A person who by commission or omission wilfully contributes to a child being in need of protection intervention commits an offense and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $200,000 or to imprisonment for a term of six months.”
However, the agency continued to work with the woman and she was allowed to visit her children as she got her life back on track. Greene said the agency is very happy with the progress the woman has made and said it is always better for children to grow up in a family environment instead of a state home. The agency will continue to monitor the children and their mother but Greene noted it was a joy to see how happy the entire family was when reunited.
