It was the end of the working day and I was leaving the office when I saw her; she gave me a wave with a bright smile. “I get them back, you know. One day before Christmas, I get them back and we living [name of street] where I find a place to rent,” she said, before I could manage a word.
My spirits lifted as I noticed how happy she was. She was referring to her two toddlers who were taken into state care by the Child Care and Protection Agency sometime last year.
I had featured her last April when she approached me, after she said she had read a piece I had done. At the time she lived nowhere and was facing a court verdict on a jaywalking charge.
She has three children, the eldest lives with his father, but the then two-year-old and seven-month-old were taken into state care shortly after their mother, according to authorities, had abandoned them in a home for domestic violence victims.
“I was in the home for domestic violence victims,” she had said at the time. “But a day they gave me a document to sign, and I could read and write, you know. So, I read it and I see they were supposed to give me certain things and I was not getting that. So, I left to go and complain to Child Care and I don’t know who get into trouble, but they call and say I abandon my children and Child Care take my children.”
Back then, she was desperately in need of job and somewhere to live.
After our initial meeting, I met her on a few more occasions and she finally secured a job and moved in with a friend. An acquaintance, who has a long history of working with the most vulnerable, had provided the finances for her to stay at a hotel for a while after I had approached him.
When I saw her recently, she could not stop talking about her children and how better they were doing now that they were in her care.
“When you see I collect my children I almost run with them and I went and bathe them, and I don’t want to ever let them go back to the state. I will work very hard to ensure this,” she told me.
I asked her if she was working and she said yes. “Before this job I had a nice contract with a company… it was only for three months but it really help me. I get to open a bank account and so and I get to pay down on a place and that is where we living now,” she gushed.
“But it still not all of that easy but I have to try, you know. I have to do what I need to do, and the only thing now is to find a day care for the children. Right now, is my father looking at them because he living with me. But I don’t know how long he will be there so I have to think about other things,” she added.
I did not ask her how she survived the months since I last saw her; she provided some information but did not go into full details.
I told her to bring the children so I can see them and two days later she brought them.
The baby girl is now walking, and she held on to her mother during the conversation. Both children seemed very attached to her.
“Don’t think my children don’t know me. I use to go and see them because I didn’t want them to forget I is their mother,” she said, answering an unasked question.
“Look I not saying it was easy and I know it still hard but I happy get them back and I want to try for them. I don’t want nobody raising my children. I can work. I get CXC subjects and I can do things, but it is just like I not getting the right chance,” she continued.
“Since I get back the children them [the state] come and do one visit and I know they would come back so I want every time they come, I must be doing better. I don’t want to give them any reason to take my children again.
“But now I have this job, I will hold on to it and just do what I have to do…”
She left with the children shortly after and I told her to return a few days later as I knew my acquaintance would have wanted to assist her.
As soon as I informed him, he immediately asked if she needed any financial assistance. I told him she did not ask, but I sensed she was in need. He responded with a sealed envelope.
When she returned two days later, she was dressed for work. I handed her the envelope and no questions were asked.
“I get through with the day care, you know. So, when I working day they would be there but right now I going in for three to eleven and my father looking at them for me,” she told me.
“So, you see, not all the stories you does write about does turn out bad. I glad that I make a little progress so I can tell you. I know I will make it once I get to go to work every day,” she said before hurrying off to ensure she made it to her job on time.
As she left, I had mixed feelings, as while I was happy that she had made some progress, I wished there was more support for her. I wished maybe the state would have assisted her with child care for the children when she was away at work.
I am worried that she would be unable to pay day care fees and the $30,000 monthly rent for their home. After paying rent and day care fees, I wondered what she had left of her salary for all the other necessities such as food and transportation.
She did say, however, when the children were returned to her, that she was given some food items by the state.
When I wrote about her last year, I had contacted Director of the Child Care and Protection Agency Ann Greene and she had confirmed that she knew of the woman’s case.
At that time, she had said they wanted to help the young woman and she had revealed that while she was in the home those in charge had complained and they had ordered an evaluation because there was something wrong and they needed to understand what it was.
That evaluation, according to Greene, had among other things found that the woman was depressed. Greene had also claimed that the woman had a “secret pain” that needed to be addressed. Greene added that she had displayed “disruptive behaviour” and was in the habit of leaving her children at the home and going out, which resulted in those in authority filing complaints against her including of her “disruptive behavior”.
The woman had denied these claims.
It is good that the state will continue to monitor the situation as ultimately the well-being of the children is paramount. However, my biggest desire is for her to win this battle so that she can really provide the home environment they need.
The first Chronicles on her was published on April 22, 2018 for those of you who might have missed it.
