SMN News did some research and spoke to a few children who are now adults about the experience they had in foster care. A mother of four told us that when she was a child, she was removed from her parent's home and taken to the home of a Court of Guardianship employee. This former employee whose name was provided took her but she suffered years of sexual abuse in her new home. "I was taken out of an abusive home and placed at someone else's home for my protection but I was the sex slave in that house. My adopted father raped me over and over and when I spoke out my concerns were not taken seriously. I made complaints even to the head of the Court of Guardianship and he did nothing for me. He just left me there to suffer. Eventually when my foster parents got their own children I was kicked out. By then I was suffering from bipolar disorder."
The mother of four further explained that she eventually began to suffer from attachment disorder and she was unable to stay in any relationship. "The lack of care and counseling has rippling effects on foster or abused children which leaves them with life time effects. "Now I am a mother and my children also ended up in foster care because I am a wreck, while I love my children very much I am not able to be the mother I want to be, I cannot provide the love and attention they need because I myself did not get it."
In another interview, we spoke to another mother who is now fighting to get back her children from foster care or the wings of the Court of Guardianship. That mother told us that at age 10 years she was removed from her mother's house and taken to live with a prominent family in Dutch Quarter. "The lady I was taken to was old, she was a diabetic and I was an introverted child, I was not talking much especially since I was not able to understand why my mother would abuse me." The young woman who has five children said it came to a point where the elderly woman decided that she must get help since she was not able to get to me, she said I was not talking enough for so instead of the Court of Guardianship seeking that help for me they removed me from the home and took me back to my mother's house where the abuse got worse by the day. "You see back then the Court of Guardianship would take you away from your parent's house today and the next day they are the one who would go to your parents and say they are going to help them be a good parent. At that time, there was no Family Guardianship with professionals that could provide after care for foster children and families.
"I ended up marrying someone who abused me and I ended up on the streets. My children and I was practically knocking about and I went to the Court of Guardianship and asked them to place my children in foster care because we were on the streets and they told me that they heard I was on drugs and offered no assistance. Eventually I had to send my children with their father the same man who abused me for years, and he abandoned them. My children ended up at someone's house and their father was nowhere to be found and when the person could not support my children they dropped them off at the police station who then placed them in foster care. Ever then since my children have been in foster care, they have not received any counseling, they have not gotten any support from SJIB or Family Guardianship who is supposed to watching over them, instead they are being harassed by a social worker who does not visit or counsel children, instead she seems to be doing business with foster children by moving them from one place to another."
In another interview we spoke to 16 year old girl whose mother is dead and she is now under protective custody and was placed in foster care. The 16 year old admitted that she was having some issues with relatives and that is why she was placed in foster care. She said in that home they are not fed. The home is supposed to be monitored by SJIB but they don't check to see what type of life the teenagers in the home are living. The caretaker of the home only cooks on Wednesday's while the home of the elderly would donate food to them two days per week and Domino Pizza another two days. The only day the stove is lit in the home is on Wednesday's. While the home gets monies from government and the Court of Guardianship for children that are placed there, the owner of the home does not provide them with basic hygiene products. Some of the children have to beg people for soap power to wash their clothes. The teenager further explained earlier this year she got pregnant and she ended up in the hospital and the baby was gone. She said she pleaded with the social worker and relatives to allow her to go back to her relatives but they refused to let her go. "It's all about the money it's not about if I am happy or not."
It should be noted that GEBE had disconnected the electricity and water from the home for non-payment of utility bills. The home was without water and electricity for almost two weeks.
This teenager eventually ran away and is living with friends. She is also pregnant for the second time. When asked if the Social Worker and SJIB (Family Guardianship) provided counseling for her when she got pregnant the first time, and if they placed her on birth control pills the teenager said none of that was done. "The only time I see the social worker is when the owner of the home takes complaints to her about me. She would call me and my relatives and insult us. I had enough and so I left that place, had they done what they were supposed to do which was to counsel me and put me on birth control I would not have been pregnant. Most importantly if I was getting what I needed from the foster home and SJIB I would not have to sleep with anyone.
In another instance, we are told about a twin who was separated and taken out of their parental home but was later sent back to his parents where he was sexually assaulted by a close relative.
Clearly, there is a lack of supervision from the Court of Guardianship and the board of SJIB and somebody seems to be covering up for the inadequacies of the social worker whom we are told is not qualified for the job she holds. While it is essential for social workers to be qualified persons with proper skills and attitude towards children and delinquent families that cannot provide proper care.
SJIB or Family Guardianship has over the years being passing the buck by not providing the services they are paid to give. Instead, the cycle of abuse and dysfunctional families continue for the lack of supervision and care from SJIB. It is clear that society would have to deal and pay for after care for a larger amount of delinquent families since the cycle does not seem to have an end.
Therefore, the current Government mainly the Minister of Justice under who these departments fall should conduct an investigation to remedy the sores they have within the two departments.
Children with attachment disorders or other attachment problems have difficulties connecting to others and managing their own emotions. This results in a lack of trust and self-worth, a fear of getting close to anyone, anger, and a need to be in control. A child with an attachment disorder feels unsafe and alone.
So why do some children develop attachment disorders while others don't? The answer has to do with the attachment process, which relies on the interaction of both parent and child.
Attachment disorders are the result of negative experiences in this early relationship. If young children feel repeatedly abandoned, isolated, powerless, or uncared for—for whatever reason—they will learn that they can't depend on others and the world is a dangerous and frightening place.