With the tragic death of their mother and concerns being raised about their welfare, Child Protection Services yesterday moved to take temporary control of the four young children of accident victim Mary Sandy.
Director of the Child Protection Agency, Ann Greene, said that the Human Services Ministry was “very concerned” having visited the Providence, East Bank Demerara home of the family and making an initial assessment of the situation.
The conditions under which the children are living and more importantly, the absence of a stable and trusted figure were among the issues being raised yesterday as social services weighed the decision on how to proceed.
Greene said that her agency would act in the interest of the children while underscoring the need for them to be cared for in a sheltered environment “at this time”. She noted that the children are likely to be placed in the temporary custody of the ministry until a full assessment of the situation is done.
She said too that the agency would work on finding other relatives since concerns have been raised about the father.
Stabroek News was informed that persons in the area, particularly one family who had assisted Sandy in caring for the children, expressed a desire to keep the children yesterday but that the offer was reportedly turned down by the ministry.
Greene would only say that “there was some interest”. She insisted that the agency has a responsible to care for the children given the circumstances, adding that the focus is currently on what it is best for Sandy’s four children.
But Greene observed that Sandy was in dire need of assistance based on how she was living.
She said that even if the woman had been reluctant to approach the ministry “someone in the community could have alerted us”.
According to her, the ministry is constantly being challenged as it seeks to engage communities and move in the direction of “people looking out for people”.
She said that the ministry is continuing in its drive to work with various communities in an attempt to change the current culture.
The 25-year-old Sandy mothered Andre, 4, Tyrone ,3, Anthony, 2, and two-month-old Andrew. She lived under deplorable conditions with her husband and children in a shack at Providence.
Reports are that the she had 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 on Wednesday.
