Children of Neglect
My cousins Sharnice and Monica were the children of neglect. The neglect began when Sharnice was 5 and Monica was only 10 months old. Their parents divorced at this point and the stress of the deterioration of their marriage caused both parents to casually use drugs. This casual use of drugs became a full blown addiction for both parents. Sharnice and Monica was in the custody of their mother who began to neglect them.She began to miss feeding the children, taking them to doctor's appointments and keeping their hygiene. The problem persisted until finally neighbors reported the children being left in the house unsupervised to the local Department of Family and Children Services. Sharnice and Monica were not put into foster care but kinship care.They were raised by their grandmother. Sharnice and Monica are 21 and 26 today. They are well adjusted adults, married and have children of their own. Unfortunately both their parents are still on drugs and they are dealing with the consequences their parents reap as the result of their drug use. Sharnice and Monica have never had counseling as far as I know, just the support of a loving and caring grandmother.
Kenya and Child Neglect
Kenya defines neglect as failure to provide for a child's basic need. Neglect includes physical, medical, educational, and emotional abuse. Among non-fatal cases of neglect 71.1% of these were neglect. These neglects include non-compliance with health care,failure to seek appropriate health care, deprivation of food resulting in child not physically thriving, exposure to drugs, inadequate protection from environmental dangers, abandonment, inadequate supervision, poor hygiene and deprivation of education. In 1996 a coalition that began with key government ministries, non-governmental agencies and community based programmes. This coalition was soon comprised of members from private sectors such as the police, judicial system and the main hospital. This coalition received training on child abuse and neglect. From this 3 groups were established training, advocacy and child protection. As a result of this coalition Kenyans are more aware of neglect and abuse of children and systems have been established to address victims and their needs.
Read More Here
http://www.amshaafrica.org/component/content/article/108.html
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2002/9241545615_chap3_eng.pdf
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