General

  • What is the Authority's process for the removal of a child from a Children's Home?
    The Authority is specifically mandated under Section 5(1) (c) of the Children's Authority Act Chap. 46:10, "to investigate complaints made by any person with respect to any child who is in the care of a community residence, foster home or nursery", that the said residence, home or nursery failed to comply with the requisite standards prescribed under the Children's Community Residences Foster Care and Nurseries Act, 2000 and any incident of mistreatment of children in such places. Where, following the Authority's investigation of the matter, the Authority considers the allegation of mistreatment of the child to be substantiated, the child will be deemed to be a child in need of care and protection, within the meaning of the Children's Authority Act. Once the child is so deemed, the Authority will determine, based on all of the circumstances of the case, what interventions are necessary in the best interest of the child. Where the Authority deems that the child would be in "imminent danger", meaning at the risk of physical, emotional, mental or psychological harm, if he/she remains in the Children's Home, the Authority may remove the child from the Home and seek an appropriate order from the Court to facilitate the placement of the child in a safe and appropriate environment, having regard to all of the child's circumstances and needs. In order to determine the circumstances and needs of the child, the Authority will conduct an assessment of the child. In some instances, if the child is not removed from the particular Children's Home, the Home must submit a safety plan to the Authority, to ensure that no further harm comes to the child. The Authority's Licensing and Monitoring Unit will usually conduct announced and unannounced visits to the Home, to monitor the implementation of the safety plan. The philosophy of the Authority is to promote family reintegration, and placement with the child's family/close relative is amongst the first placement option. Attempts are then made to contact the child's parents during the investigations and assessment. If the Authority is unable to contact the parent and the child has to be placed in alternative care, for instance Foster Care, the Authority would make an application to the Court for a Foster Care Order in accordance with Section 25(1) of the Children's Authority Act. In making this application to the Court, the Authority must convince the Court that this placement is the best option for the child. The child's parents are usually formally joined as parties to the proceedings. The Court will then order that the application be served on the parents. The Court may have an inter partes hearing, which would involve the attendance of the parents to the Court hearing. The Court may also, at its discretion, make an ex parte Order, which is made without having a formal hearing involving the parties. At the hearing, all the parties, including the parents are engaged, before a final decision is made with respect to the future care of the child. The Authority wishes to reiterate that all attempts are made to contact parents before and after, an application is made.
  • Does the Authority have to get permission from/inform the parent(s)? What notice, in terms of time, does the Children's Authority give to the child in question, the Children's Home and or family members when a child is to be moved from a Children's Home?
    Yes, the Authority makes all attempts to inform the parents. However, in many instances, it is difficult to locate the parents. The Authority has the power to remove a child under Section 5(1) of the Children's Authority Act which provides that the Authority upon investigation, may remove a child where it is shown that the child is in "imminent danger". The Authority operates in a family-focused and child-friendly manner and the child is counselled before any move takes place. The notice of the move, which is given, is usually determined based on the particular child in question where the following factors are considered: the child's stage of development, age, past trauma and experience.
  • What is the Authority's protocol with respect to contact from family members?
    Prior to making an application to the Court, the Authority engages the child's parents during its investigative and assessment processes. Once the matter is before the Court, the Court in its discretion, will determine whether a family member should be permitted access to a child. In fact, though not one of the Authority's mandated responsibilities, given its philosophy of maintaining family ties and reuniting children with their families, the Authority has facilitated close to 100 supervised visits between children and family members from all over the country.
  • Is there some kind of transitional process when a child is removed from a place or people with whom they are comfortable i.e., family who visited, workers at the Children's Home? Is separation anxiety a consideration?
    Yes, a Social Worker and/or Psychologist from the Authority is usually involved in this process.
  • If a child is sexually or otherwise abused by another child at a Children's Home, what would be the Authority's next step?
    Once a report about sexual abuse of a child against another child is received, an investigation is initiated. If the children are under 12 years of age, they will be deemed incapable of committing a sexual offence, pursuant to Section 26, Chapter 11:28 of the Sexual Offences Act. In such a case, the Authority will assess both children and where necessary "liaise with support services and agencies for counselling, investigations and continued management" of the case, in accordance with Section 14(2) (b) of the Children's Authority Act. If the alleged "perpetrator" is over 12 years of age, the Authority, in accordance with the mandatory reporting provision of the Sexual Offences Act Section 31, makes a report to the Police. The Authority will also assess the children involved and prepare a Treatment Plan which will inform the appropriate interventions.

Assessment

  • 1. What does assessment mean?
    An assessment is an evaluation of the child’s health care needs, mental state, and emotional and social functioning. This is done in an attempt to determine the child’s needs and the best way to support his/her well-being.
  • 2. What does the assessment process entail?
    The assessment process comprises a social work intake, a medical examination, a psychological assessment and/or a psychiatric evaluation. These processes will be conducted by a team of professionals which may include but may not be limited to a Social Worker, Psychologist, Medical Doctor and Psychiatrist. The professionals will engage in a Multidisciplinary Case Conference, which will result in the development of a Treatment Plan. Each plan will be tailored to address the child’s needs and will detail the interventions required for the child’s rehabilitation. A recommendation for placement will also be included in this Plan.
  • 3. How long does the assessment process take?
    The assessment process is a complex one that involves interviewing and psychologically assessing the child and multiple other persons such as parents/guardians, foster carers, residential staff, potential caregivers, other relatives, school officials etc. Direct observation of the child in their environment may also be done. Additionally, multiple sources of information on the child and family from other stakeholders may be sought and used. As such, once an assessment is initiated, it is aimed to be completed and a treatment plan formulated within a three month period. This can take less or more time depending on the complexity of the case and the needs of the child and family.
  • 4. What if I refuse to have my child assessed?
    The importance of consent, the assessment process and its benefits to the child and family will be explained to the parent or guardian. It is only when such consent is refused, and it is determined that the assessment is necessary to determine if a child is suffering harm or is likely to suffer harm, that the Authority will make an application to the Court for an Assessment Order which authorises the organisation to conduct an assessment of the child.

Foster Care

  • 1. What happens after I submit the application and all supporting documents?
    The Children’s Authority begins to review and verify the information and documents submitted with the application form. This will be followed by any necessary investigations, which include background checks of the adult members of the household, in-depth interviews and home assessments. Once this stage is completed, the applicant will undergo all necessary training. After this, the Board of Management of the Children’s Authority must give final approval before the applicant can be placed on the Register of approved Foster Care providers.
  • 2. What qualities are required to become a Foster Parent?
    Foster Parents need to have the desire to love and parent a child, the ability to nurture, have an understanding of children, have patience and flexibility, the ability to provide a safe and stable home, and to provide daily care for children with diverse life experiences and needs.
  • 3. How long will a child stay with me?
    The duration of the child’s stay will be dependent on the needs of the child, and this will be determined through the assessment process done by the Children’s Authority. However, both short term and long term placement options are available. The intention of Foster Care is to have the child reunited with their family where appropriate, possible or in the best interest of the child or until other suitable long term living arrangements can be made.
  • 4. Do Foster Parents have a choice about which children they want to foster?
    At the time of assessing the suitability of a foster parent, discussions will be held with the foster parent on the age and gender of the children they have a preference in fostering. We will try to match the child’s needs with foster parents strengths as best as possible.
  • 5. If children are placed in foster care, are parents allowed to visit?
    Where possible, appropriate and in the best interest of the child, parents/relatives are allowed visitation with their children. This is however conducted on the premises of the Children’s Authority or the Court, and as such the location of the foster home or the names of the foster parents will not be disclosed to the birth parents/relatives.
  • 6. What kind of support will foster parents receive from the Children’s Authority?
    The Children’s Authority provides ongoing support to all foster parents in the form of monitoring, training, counselling, donations, etc.

Licencing and Monitoring

  • 1. What happens after a Residence Licence is issued?
    After the issuance of a residence's licence, the Authority will monitor the Community Residence's compliance through regular inspections. These inspections will include both scheduled and unscheduled visits.
  • 2. How long is a Residence Licence valid?
    The Residence Licence is valid for one (1) year and must be renewed annually upon application to the Authority by the licensee.
  • 3. Can my licence be revoked?
    In cases where the Authority recognises that the Community Residence has either failed to maintain the requirements of the licence, or is dissatisfied with the conditions, rules, management or superintendence of a Community Residence, a notice will be served on the licensee or the manager requesting that corrective measures be undertaken within a specific timeframe. Where a notice has been served on a licensee and the licensee has failed to take the stipulated corrective measures, the Authority may serve notice on the licensee or manager of the decision to revoke the Residence Licence. The Residence Licence may be revoked from such time as specified in the notice; this date not being less than six (6) months after the date of the notice.
  • 4. What happens to the children if my licence is revoked?
    When a licence is revoked, a Community Residence ceases to be a licensed residence, and the Authority shall transfer the children housed at that residence to alternative accommodation.
  • 5. Can I appeal the decision of the Authority to revoke my licence?
    An applicant or licensee can appeal the revocation of a Residence Licence to the Office of the Prime Minister and Gender Affairs, setting out the grounds for the appeal. This appeal must be done within 14 days of the applicant receiving a notice of refusal or revocation of a Residence Licence. Where the Minister dismisses an appeal made to him, the aggrieved person may, by Fixed Date Claim serve on the Authority and the Minister, an appeal to a judge.
  • 6. Surrender of a licence
    If a licensee wishes to surrender their Residence Licence, he/she may do so by giving the Authority six months' notice in writing. At the expiration of six months from the date of the notice, the residence will cease to be a Community Residence.
  • 7. Does the Children’s Authority provide financial aid to Community Residences?
    No, the Children’s Authority does not provide financial aid to Community Residences. Financial Aid can be obtained through the Office of the Prime Minister and Gender Affairs individual donors.

Adoption

  • What is adoption?
    Adoption is the legal transfer of all parental rights and responsibilities for a child from that child’s legal parents (birth parents or adoptive parents) to another person or persons referred to as the adopter or adopters.
  • What types of adoption are there?
    There are two primary types of adoption:
    • Open: An open adoption is a form of adoption in which the biological parents and the adoptive parents know each other or the child knows the adoptive parent, it involves the adoption of an identified child.
    • Closed: A closed adoption is a form of adoption where the biological and the adoptive family do not know each other and neither has any identifying information about the other, there is no contact. In a closed adoption, the child matched with a prospective adopter based on their requested child profile
  • How can you become an adoptive parent?
    You can call the Adoption Unit at 627-0748 ext 40021, 40022, or 40023 or email (adoption@ttchildren.org) and you will receive information on our application process.
  • Do adoptive parents have a choice about the child/children that they adopt?
    Yes, they do. Prospective Adoptive Parents will have the opportunity to describe the child that they would like to be a part of their family. On the application form, there is a section that requires the Applicant to indicate the child preference.
  • What kind of support will adoptive parents receive from the Children’s Authority?
    The Children’s Authority will aim to provide support on a case by case basis to adoptive parents, families and adopted children by referrals to external agencies.
  • Can an adoptive parent adopt more than one child?
    It is possible to adopt more than one child. Sibling groups can be adopted at one time as this will make the process easier for the family involved or in the case of unrelated children, individual applications will have to be submitted.
  • Are birth parents/guardians or other relatives permitted visitation when the adoption is finalized?
    As the adoptive parent, you will retain all legal parental rights of the child. In open adoptions, the decision to allow the natural parent, guardian or relative into your home is solely your decision.
  • How long will it take to adopt?
    • For open adoptions, the process can take from 8 months to one year
    • For closed adoptions the timeframe is indeterminate as it depends on the availability of a child that matches the requested child profile of the Prospective Adoptive Parent
  • Will I be Provided with Training?
    Adoptive parents will receive parenting training or any such support depending on the need identified by the Adoption Unit
  • Are there any costs for applying?
    The Children’s Authority does not charge a fee to process the adoption application. However, there will be costs incurred by the Applicant in providing requisite supporting documents to the Adoption Unit. As well as the legal fees charged by the Applicant’s Attorney for filing of an application for an Adoption Order in Court.
  • When will I know if my application is successful?
    • For closed applications, once you have been deemed suitable by the Adoption Committee for your name to be placed on the List of Suitable Prospective Adoptive Parents, you will receive written correspondence from the Adoption Unit.
    • For open applications, once the Adoption Committee recommends that the adoption is in the best interest of the child, you will receive written correspondence from the Adoption Unit.
  • How does foster care differ from adoption?
    Foster care is meant to be a temporary placement for a child. Generally the plan is for the child to return to his/her parents when they are able to provide care. However, Adoption refers to the permanent placement of a child with a family who is deemed suitable to meet his or her needs. Also, in adoption parents relinquish their parental rights.
  • I/We have been approved as an adopter under the administration of the Adoption Board of Trinidad and Tobago. What is my status under the new administration?
    You retain your status on the List of Suitable persons as being approved as a Prospective Adoptive Parent and are in the pre-matching stage. However, given the time you had been approved the Adoption Unit will have to conduct a review of your home study to include background check and psychological assessment which form part of the Authority’s process.
  • How long can I wait to receive a child in my care?
    The timeframe is indeterminate as it depends on the availability of a child that matches the requested child profile of the Prospective Adoptive Parent.
  • If I have identified a specific child/children who I/we would like to adopt, can I bring this information to the attention of the Authority?
    Yes, you may bring this information to the attention of the Adoption Unit by calling or sending an email. Thereafter the Adoption Unit will facilitate a meeting with you and the birth parents.
  • Can someone who was approved after me/us receive a child in their care before I/we do?
    Yes, it is possible since the child available may match the profile of the child those persons may have submitted and may be different from the profile that you submitted. However, if more than one person shares the same child profile, the three persons chronologically will be considered and the Adoption Committee will recommend the person(s) that are a good fit in the best interest of the child.
  • Will I be assigned a specific caseworker?
    Yes, you will be assigned a specific caseworker.
  • My marital relationship has broken down, how does that affect my approval status?
    Once you were approved as a co-applicant with your spouse, you will have to re-apply as a single applicant.
  • My spouse is no longer interested in becoming an adoptive parent. What should be done?
    Once you were approved as adopters in a co-application process, you can inform the Adoption Unit and you will need to re-apply as a single adopter.
  • If I live outside of Trinidad and Tobago and want to adopt a relative what should I do?
    You should first contact the Adoption Unit via telephone at 627-0748 ext 40021, 40022 or 40023  or email at adoption@ttchildren.org and information will be provided to you on the process.
  • Who are the children eligible for Adoption?
    The categories of children who are considered to be eligible for adoption are as follows:
    • Children who are placed at the disposition of the Authority for adoption by their parents/guardians.
    • Children who are in the care of the Authority, either in Foster Care or in a Community Residence and for whom an order is granted by the Court to make the child available for adoption.
    • Children who are the subject of de facto adoptions. Children within a family in which the applicant is the spouse or cohabitant of the natural parent of the child;
    • Children within a family in which one of the applicants is a parent, step-parent or relative of the child, or has been a step-parent or relative of the child.
  • What happens after an Adoption Order is granted by the Court?
    The Court directs the Register General Department of the Ministry of Legal Affairs to prepare an Adoption Certificate which states the Adoptive parents as the legal parents of the child. The Adoption Certificate replaces the child’s birth certificate which is sealed. The adoption of the child is entered on the Adopted Children’s Register at the Register General Department.
  • Will I require an Attorney for my Adoption application?
    Yes, you will be required to retain an Attorney at the end of the adoption process. The Adoption Unit will inform you at that time by written correspondence.