A family is publicly criticising the Child Care Board (CCB), alleging the state agency ignored their repeated reports of neglect and failed to protect a one-year-old child who was recently caught in a violent incident that left her with a concussion.
The family members, who spoke to the DAILY NATION on the condition of anonymity, claim they contacted the CCB “hundreds of times” over the past year to report the 21-year-old mother’s drug use and absenteeism. They allege that the agency failed to remove the child from dangerous situations.
The Social Empowerment Agency (SEA) says the case is being investigated but has denied the family’s allegations.
The situation culminated three weeks ago when the infant was thrown to the ground during a violent altercation. According to a family member, the mother and her 19-year-old half-brother were smoking “blackies” when the brother stabbed the mother three times in the neck. A relative of the half-brother, who was holding the baby at the time, dropped the child on the ground to intervene.
The infant was treated at the hospital for a concussion, while the mother received treatment for her stab wounds.
The family claims the CCB had ample warning that the child was in danger. According to relatives, when the infant was just one week old, a video was posted on social media showing the mother sitting on a block with the baby’s father, smoking weed and blowing the smoke into the newborn’s face. A second video reportedly showed the infant lying on a bed among rabbit stool.
The family said both incidents were reported to the child protection agency. According to relatives, an officer investigated but the child was not removed, and the parents were not ordered to take parenting classes.
“We let her move back in because of our concern for the baby,” one family member said, noting the mother had previously stated she prefers “bad boys who smoke and who have guns”, and had no intention of working or studying.
“We told her she had to stop smoking and stop walking the streets with the baby,” a family member said, lamenting that she refused to adhere to the rules.
Instead, the family claimed the mother would sometimes leave the infant asleep in her bedroom and leave the house between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., returning hours later.
During this period, relatives said they called the CCB officer countless times from their cellphones and workplaces, leaving messages that were rarely returned. When the officer finally visited the home, the family alleged he told them they were “the ones who were wrong”.
When a family member asked about taking custody of the child, they claimed the officer stated it would “take a lot of paperwork” and require going to court.
The family’s most severe criticism stems from the child’s custody prior to the stabbing.
Earlier this year, the mother gave the baby to her 19-year-old halfbrother and his mother. The family said they were never consulted and did not know the teenager. A background search conducted by the family revealed the 19-year-old had been arrested for stabbing another boy at age 16.
When the family brought the teen’s criminal record to the attention of the CCB officer, they allege the officer stated he had investigated the home and found them to be “very nice people”.
Following the recent stabbing, the mother returned to the family home with the infant. “She called us around 1 o’clock in the morning screaming ‘Murder! Murder!’ and crying hysterically. When I got on the scene, she was covered in blood and the baby was crying and her head was swollen. She said she and her halfbrother were smoking ‘blackies’ when he tripped and started stabbing her. She ran to a neighbour screaming for help and the woman let her in. When she left the hospital she asked if she could come back home and stay for two weeks.”
However, relatives said the neglect has continued, with the mother still leaving the child in a bedroom when she sneaked out at night, or took her out at late hours.
The family has chosen to go public out of frustration with the CCB and to distance themselves from any future harm that may come to the child.
“This baby is a year. We don’t even know what the baby’s name is,” one member said. “We have told the Child Care Board about all of these matters . . . . We want this story put out because if anything happens to this child, we don’t want anyone blaming us. This child needs to be protected by the authorities.”
When contacted about the family’s allegations, director of the Social Care Delivery and Support Directorate, Roseann Richards, stated: “This is an active case that is being managed by the Social Empowerment Agency (SEA). The agency’s policy aligns with the tenets of the social work profession, where confidentiality remains paramount. As a matter of protocol, SEA will not discuss their clients’ information in public.”
However, she added: “Our investigations thus far have revealed that there is no truth to that which has been reported. The agency remains committed to serving the people of Barbados with dignity.” (MB)