Back-to-school battles Children bear the brunt of bitter disputes between parents

With the new school term looming, some Jamaican children could find themselves caught in the crossfire as parents battle over custody, access, and even where their children should be enrolled.

For some families, the arguments can become deeply personal. Fathers may complain that mothers are blocking access to their children, while mothers may argue that fathers are failing to provide adequate support.

In cases where separated parents cannot agree, the child can end up paying the emotional price.

Laurette Adams-Thomas, chief executive officer of the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA), said schools have an important role to play when family conflict begins affecting a child’s well-being or academic performance.

“Once it is that the school is made aware of a child or children who are having challenges with their family, and that it is negatively affecting them, whether it is their emotional well-being or even their performance in school, it is important from that juncture to see what level of psychosocial support or counselling services can be provided,” Adams-Thomas said.

She noted that schools already have guidance counsellors who can identify students struggling with problems at home and help connect them with support.

But schools do not have to handle every case alone.

Adams-Thomas said the CPFSA’s Child and Family Support Unit can step in to help families before disputes spiral into more serious problems. The unit, she explained, targets families experiencing difficulties and seeks to intervene before unresolved problems begin to seriously affect children.

“It endeavours to look at those families who have issues that, if it is not attended to in a timely manner, can later result in the child having several problems, or, you know, abuse start happening within the home environment that can then be negatively, even more negatively impacting, and which will normally lead to a child coming into state care,” Adams-Thomas told THE STAR.

She said the aim is to prevent family conflict from reaching that stage.

“We don’t want that to happen, because we believe that the familial environment is the most suitable environment for our children.”

According to Adams-Thomas, schools seek assistance from the Child and Family Support Unit, which can engage parents and determine what intervention may be necessary.

“We will then interrupt or engage those family members to see what level of support they need and how best we can provide it.”

However, she warned that requiring both parents to approve every school transfer may create its own headaches.

“You might not be able to have that situation, because there are occasions in which both parties are not willing to work together in the best interests of the child,” she said.

Adams-Thomas also questioned whether a blanket rule requiring the consent of both parents would work for every family.

“Even if you should make that a policy, that is something that can be adhered to, because that means that, where you have single mothers, that rule would be an issue.”

She added: “Where you have a circumstance where the mother might, for whatever reason, be off the island, that would be a problem for that child to be registered.”