Latest news with #childwelfare
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Being a Foster Dad Began to Take a Toll on Him. Days Later, He Received a Phone Call That Changed Everything (Exclusive)
Peter Mutabazi grew up in Uganda with a childhood marked by poverty He became a foster dad to help children in need, despite his initial doubts about being a single parent Mutabazi adopted his son, Anthony, who was returned to the hospital at age 11, and has since adopted two siblings, Luke and Isabella, and continues to support foster youthWhen Peter Mutabazi became a foster parent, he never anticipated that his role would evolve into something far deeper. Mutabazi's journey into foster care was driven by the intent to help, offering temporary refuge to children in need. However, his decision was also rooted in his own childhood experiences, which were shaped by poverty and hardship. "I'm from Uganda, so I grew up poor — the poorest of the poorest. No one told me to dream. No one told me to be hopeful," Mutabazi, 51, tells PEOPLE exclusively. As Mutabazi got older, things took a dramatic turn, and he decided to leave his home. He walked for miles until he arrived in the city of Kampala. Having never been outside of Uganda, the unfamiliarity was overwhelming, and Mutabazi quickly realized his only option was to survive on the streets. "As a street kid on the streets of Kampala — in any third world country — you are treated more like a stray animal," the foster dad, who goes by the name @fosterdadflipper on Instagram, says. "The way people viewed you, the way people treated you, everyone who was kind was abusive." This was until Mutabazi met a stranger whom he tried to steal from, desperate for survival. However, instead of responding with anger or punishment, the man asked for his name. The stranger's unexpected kindness sparked a transformation in Mutabazi's own life, leading to a series of events that would take him out of survival mode and open the door to a future he had never imagined. "He offered me [the opportunity] to go to school after a year and a half, [so] I went and excelled in school," he recalls. "I really began to [wonder], if a stranger can see the best in me, what can I do? So then I got a scholarship to come to [the] United States." Mutabazi's early experiences of abandonment left an undeniable mark on him, and he couldn't shake the sense of responsibility he felt for those still suffering, especially children who, like him, were trapped in a cycle of neglect and pain. Initially, he believed that in order to adopt, you had to be married and Caucasian, as he had never seen a person of color adopt children where he came from. So he began exploring the possibility of mentoring teenagers until a social worker asked if he had ever considered foster care. "For the kindness of a stranger who changed my life, I wanted to do the same for kids," he says. "I think understanding kids in foster care, unloved, unwanted, being in homes [and] in places they didn't know, I thought I could give [them] a little glimpse of hope." The initial fostering process was overwhelming for Mutabazi, as the constant cycle of children coming and going left him heartbroken. Each time a child left, the emotional toll was unbearable, and the sadness lingered long after they were gone. 'When kids go, you are left in tears,' he says. 'I was like, 'Man, this job is really hard. I don't want to do this again.' I [eventually] told the social worker that I needed a break for [at least] six months. I needed to heal.' Little did he know, just a few days later, a phone call would change everything for him. 'The kids [I was fostering] had left [on a Monday] and I received a phone call on Friday,' he explains. 'The social worker said, 'Hey, there's a kid that needs a home,' and I said, 'Absolutely not.' But the social worker [proposed] dropping off the child and picking them up on Monday, so I said yes." Mutabazi didn't want to know anything about the child or form any sort of attachment, having just witnessed the departure of 11 children. '[The boy] arrived to my home and the social worker left, so I said, 'This is your bedroom, you can call me Mr. Peter,'' he recalls. He admits he was taken aback when the kid asked if he could instead call him Mutabazi's attempt to keep his distance, something in that moment began to shift. 'This kid had been in my home for only 20 minutes,' he continues. 'So he looks at me again, and says, 'I'm 11. I was told that since I'm 11, I can choose who my father should be. So I'm choosing you.'" When the social worker arrived on Monday to pick up the boy, Mutabazi signed the paperwork, but something compelled him to ask why he had initially been left at the hospital and where he would be going next. "The social worker told me he was adopted [but] the family that adopted him dropped him [off] at the hospital, never said goodbye and never gave a reason why they didn't want him," he explains. "That's when I realized, I've always wanted to be a dad, and this kid somehow knew I [would] be his dad. How did I not see it? That's when it all clicked." Mutabazi immediately took back the papers he had signed and asked the social worker for new paperwork so the boy could attend school. While it was heartbreaking to learn that the boy's family had relinquished their parental rights, it also opened the door for the possibility of boy, Anthony, was 11 when Mutabazi took him in, and since then, they have shared in many milestones, including graduation, visiting Uganda — Mutabazi's native country — for the first time, and attending Mutabazi's younger brother's wedding.'It's one of those things that were always meant to be," he says. "Of course, there is no journey without ups and downs, you're going to have challenges [because] that's life." "At first we had to [spend] almost a year and a half without [fostering] other kids, so we can get used [to each other], but once we got there, I think he knew my heart, and [that] I always want to help other kids who are in the same position,' he adopting Anthony, Mutabazi has fostered over 30 children and adopted two siblings, Luke and Isabella. The two siblings were originally meant to stay with Mutabazi for just the summer, but after being adopted, they've now spent four years together as a family. While Mutabazi has reached many people online, where he has over a million followers on TikTok and Instagram, he knows his work is far from finished and still strives to help others in need. In addition to sharing his experiences as a foster dad, he also actively raises money to help foster children in need of a home on his GoFundMe page.'I didn't sleep on a mattress until I was 16, and as a street kid, I never truly belonged anywhere, and that left me feeling unwanted, unloved, and less than human," he says. "But everything began to change when I finally had a stable place to rest. That simple gift, a safe space to sleep, gave me the sense of belonging I had never known.""That's why I now do room makeovers for foster youth, many of whom have moved through 12 or more homes before they turn 18," he adds. "For the first time, we're giving them dignity. We're reminding them they are seen, valued and worthy of calling a place home." Read the original article on People
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Court hears 13-year-old girl with history of drug use and sexual exploitation needs to switch care unit
A 13-year-old girl who has had more than 200 incidents involving gardaí along with a history of drug use, sexual exploitation and severe neglect is to be moved from her secure-care unit for her own safety. On Thursday, against the recommendations of her advocate, the High Court ordered the girl be moved due to 'very significant issues' with another child in her current unit. Mr Justice John Jordan, acknowledging concerns of her guardian ad litem – an independent person appointed by the court to act as the child's voice – said Tusla, the Child and Family Agency , was 'between a rock and hard place in terms of resolving a situation which has to be resolved'. The deteriorating situation of the girl, who was detained in secure care, also known as special care, earlier this year, has been reported to the court regularly since the admission of another child to the same unit. READ MORE The two children, who are from the same locality, have a 'fractious' relationship. The girl has said she 'should not have to live' with the other child. William O'Rourke, assistant national director of alternative care in Tusla, said on Thursday the issues between the children were 'becoming more toxic, more fractious', and 'a move should occur as soon as possible'. Margaret Fennell, the girl's guardian ad litem, described her as 'a very vulnerable... young girl who wants to be part of something. She is lost.' Until recently she had not engaged 'in any form of therapeutic service, nor wanted to'. 'She has over 200 incidents with An Garda Síochána ... [there was] quite a significant incident [that] has gone to the DPP [ Director of Public Prosecutions ] in relation to a serious assault.' Since coming into special care earlier this year she had built positive therapeutic relationships in her current placement. This was 'amazing' and 'should be nurtured', said Ms Fennell. 'I still do believe it should not be [the girl in her charge] that is moving.' Mr Justice Jordan noted that the girl came from 'an extraordinarily dysfunctional background'. When she first spent time in special care, at age 11, she had already experienced 'drug-taking problems, suicide attempts... serious sexual exploitation, despite her young age'. At the time, both her parents were in prison. '[The girl] has had very few breaks in life and it is the position she was making improvements in [her unit which] appear to have come to a halt or to have slowed.' . There was 'no doubt' it was necessary to separate the two children. Each of the three special care centres was 'too small', he noted, to effectively keep children who had a negative impact upon each other apart. The complexity of separating them lay in the fact that all 16 available special care beds are occupied, meaning a child currently staying in the unit to which the girl will move must also be moved to make space for her. Tusla told the court it had identified a child in the second unit who would benefit from swapping places with the girl, due to 'escalating tensions and difficulties' they were involved in. That child's parents agreed 'absolutely' with the move if the child was 'in danger'. Making orders to arrange both moves, the judge said there were 'no guarantees' they would be without problems. He listed the three children's cases for review in coming weeks.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
N.J. Teacher Accused of Sexually Assaulting Student at 11, Then Having His Baby at 13, Indicted by Grand Jury
A grand jury in New Jersey indicted Laura Caron on sexual assault charges and a single count of endangering the welfare of a child The former fifth-grade teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a former student from 2016 through 2020, starting when the boy was just 11 Caron then gave birth to a daughter she allegedly conceived with the student in 2019, when the alleged victim was 13, police sayA New Jersey teacher accused of sexually abusing a student over a four year period will be prosecuted on multiple felony counts. Laura Caron, 34, of Cape May was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on charges of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, second-degree sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child in the second-degree. Investigators alleged that Caron started sexually assaulting the alleged victim when he was just 11-years-old according to a news release from the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office. A police report from the Middle Township Police Department said that Caron allegedly gave birth to a daughter she conceived with a minor in 2019, when the alleged victim was 13 and Caron was who prior to her arrest was a fifth-grade teacher at Middle Township Elementary School, first met the alleged victim when he was a student in her class, according to the police report. Police said in their report that the alleged victim, along with his brother and sister, would sometimes stay with Caron at her home with their parents' permission. The alleged victim then began living with Caron in 2016 for reasons that remain unclear, according to the police report. Caron could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted on all three charges. She had been booked into the Cape May County Correctional Facility upon her initial arrest back in January but was able to post bail a few days later. Court records show that Caron is due back in court on July 16. She has not yet entered a plea. Her attorney did not respond to a request for comment. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to . If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Elementary school teacher accused of abusing teen student after victim's father makes astonishing discovery
An elementary school teacher was arrested for abusing young student after the victim's father found a picture of the woman's 5-year-old child on Facebook that looked exactly like his son. The New Jersey teacher stands accused of a years-long betrayal of trust after authorities say she sexually abused a former student in her care, beginning when he was just 11 years old. Police began their investigation last year after the father made a post on Facebook. 'Tell me y'all don't see (what) I see. If that ain't my exact DNA it's definitely my son's and we both know I never touched you,' the post read. Last week, a Cape May County grand jury indicted Laura Caron, 34, of Cape May Court House, on two counts of aggravated sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child. According to court documents, the abuse began in 2016, when Caron was 28 and the victim just 11 years old. The charges stem from what prosecutors have alleged was a years-long sexual relationship that Caron initiated and maintained with a boy who had once been her student. 'These allegations are deeply disturbing, particularly given the position of trust the defendant held in relation to the victim,' said Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland in a statement following the indictment. 'Our office remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.' The New Jersey elementary school teacher stands accused of a shocking and years-long betrayal of trust after authorities say she sexually abused a former student in her care, beginning when he was just 11 years old and later giving birth to his child The victim and his siblings, who had previously been Caron's students, began staying at her home intermittently, reportedly due to instability within their biological family. Over time, that arrangement became more permanent, and by 2016 the children were living with Caron full-time. Investigators allege how behind the closed doors of her Middle Township home, Caron began grooming the boy, eventually initiating a sexual relationship that continued for four years, until 2020. Prosecutors say Caron gave birth to a daughter in 2019, when the boy was just 13 years old. At the time, Caron was still employed as a fifth-grade teacher in the Middle Township School District, where she had taught for over a decade. What shattered the years of silence was the father's Facebook post. The post gained traction and raised immediate concerns. It was this viral accusation, suggesting that Caron's daughter resembled both the father and his son, that led police to open an investigation. The resulting probe, led by the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office and the Middle Township Police Department's Major Crimes Unit, uncovered what prosecutors now describe as a case of systematic abuse and manipulation. Court records show that Caron not only taught the victim, but also his younger brother. Both had been her students before they moved into her home with their sister. The affidavit of probable cause alleges that other children in the home noticed troubling signs including the victim sleeping in Caron's bed, rather than with his siblings, and showering with her. One of the victim's brothers reportedly witnessed a sexual encounter, believing Caron and the victim thought he was asleep. Another sibling reportedly possessed a screenshot of a conversation in which the victim admitted to being the father of Caron's child but pleaded with her not to tell anyone, saying he didn't want Caron to get in trouble. In January 2025, Caron was arrested. At a detention hearing, her defense attorney, John Tumelty, argued that the state had acted prematurely and that no DNA test had yet confirmed the paternity of the child. Prosecutors confirmed that a DNA warrant was obtained, but the results have not yet been publicly released. Despite the gravity of the charges, Caron was released pending trial. The Middle Township School District has not publicly commented on the indictment but confirmed that Caron was suspended without pay following her arrest. Tumelty also noted at the time that no complaints had been filed against Caron during her 11-year teaching career and that her mother, who lived in the same house, knew of no abuse. Still, investigators say the evidence is mounting. The indictment follows months of forensic analysis, interviews, and affidavits painting a disturbing picture of a teacher who allegedly used her authority and emotional proximity to manipulate and sexually exploit a child entrusted to her care. Prosecutors say Caron continued to abuse the victim until 2020, when the child was around 14 or 15 years old. If convicted, Caron faces up to 20 years in prison on the first-degree aggravated sexual assault charge, with an additional 5 to 10 years possible on each of the second-degree charges.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Foster carers wanted: ‘You can be over 55, gay, single, a job seeker, of ethnic minority, and be a carer'
They say that raising a child takes a village, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have the help and support they need. And some people, for a variety of reasons, are unable to take care of their own children. There are more than 5,000 children and young people in State care across Ireland with almost 90 per cent of these living with foster carers. Nicola Rowntree Carroll and her husband, Gerry, have been welcoming children into their home for almost two decades and say it has been an incredibly rewarding experience. 'When we first got married many years ago and it seemed unlikely that we would have our own children, we thought about fostering,' she says. 'But then we did become parents – to Sarah Louise, David and Emma – and we put it on the back burner for a while. Then, one day, both myself and Gerry happened to be listening to an interview on the radio about fostering. He was at home and I was at work, and coincidentally we both heard it. There was a call-out for foster parents, and we said, 'You know what? Let's do this.' That was about 18 years ago and we have been doing it ever since. The importance of foster care Listen | 68:58 In Ireland, more than 5,500 children are currently in foster care. We hear from two foster carers, Sinéad O'Donnell and Sharon Kelly, who tell Róisín Ingle why they wanted to open up their homes, the challenges involved and what advice they would give to anyone considering becoming a foster carer. 'In that time, we have fostered four children. Our first placement was a seven-month-old baby boy, who was an amazing little character who took to Gerry from the moment he came into the house in the arms of the social worker – I'd say he sat on Gerry's hip for a whole year. It was a wonderful experience all round, particularly as he went home at the end, which was just fantastic.' READ MORE Their next placement was a teenage boy, who came to their house in an emergency situation and stayed on for some time, ending only after tensions arose between the children. 'We would have loved to continue working with him, but he was the same age as our own son and conflicts had begun, so in terms of protecting our own child, unfortunately, the placement had to end,' says Nicola, who is a rape crisis worker. Nicola Rowntree Carroll. But their household numbers changed again as, shortly afterwards, they took in two brothers. 'We've had this foster placement of two teenage brothers, Andrew and Tristan, for nine years now,' she says. 'They are a long-term placement and will always be with us – they really are part of the furniture now at this stage.' The two brothers have integrated seamlessly into family life, and Nicola says they are blessed that everyone gets on so well, as this might not always be the case. 'Looking after the baby first was kind of handy because he wasn't going to be into anyone else's toys or anything like that, so it wasn't difficult,' she says. 'I had thought that it might be an issue for our youngest with [feelings of] displacement, but it was fine. There were issues with the second placement, but this is often the case with everyone trying to find their space within a new home. But we are really blessed with the boys, as all the children get on – and fight – like siblings. 'Of course, there are lots and highs and lows with fostering, regardless of the situation, and one of the things that we learned really early on from a social worker was to celebrate the small things. So that is something that we always try to do. But we have also been really lucky because we're now celebrating big things with the boys as well. 'Also, things have been very positive with regard to the boys' mum, as I have a fantastic relationship with her. This can be quite unusual and has been hard work – she has had to see someone else bringing up her children, which cannot be easy for any mother, but we have really worked very hard and meet each other every two weeks for coffee or lunch, a catch-up and a chat. I will text her when things happen with the boys, even simple things like going to the GP or if they have done well on a test or an exam, and I'll send photos. 'This has also made a huge difference for the boys, because they are not competing or protecting either situation – so in the house and on their phones, and she is referred to as 'Mum One', and I am 'Mum Two'. And with regard to any major decisions, I will run everything past Mum One before we say yes or no to it. That has been an absolute high, and has also been such a positive experience for all of us. I know Mum One would agree and say exactly that same thing, that it's not about us, it's all about the children.' If you have space, and time, and a little bit of room in your heart and in your mind, think about fostering June is National Fostering Awareness Month. 'The theme is 'Fostering Is for You', in which we want to address the myths around fostering eligibility,' says Jacqueline Smyth, Tusla national lead for foster care. 'You can be over 55, gay, single, a job seeker, of ethnic minority, etc and be a foster carer. Many people don't realise this and were ruling themselves out. 'There is an ongoing need for carers across the country. And it is important that the pool of available carers is both diverse and geographically spread to assist children in staying in their communities. Each child will have differing needs, and so a variety of family types is also important; quiet homes and busy ones, homes with children and those without, are all required. 'People often believe that fostering is something that is outside their range of skills when, in fact, what foster children need most are homes which are stable and filled with kindness and love. The love and care is the same as if you were looking after your own child or family member.' 'As part of National Fostering Awareness Month, we are asking people from diverse backgrounds, in communities across Ireland, to consider providing all types of foster care,' says Smyth. 'It could be respite care on weekends, even one weekend a month. It could be an emergency placement, or a longer-term placement for children and young people who cannot, for various reasons, live with their birth families.' Meanwhile, seasoned foster carer Nicola urges people to consider taking in a child as it could make such a difference to their life. 'If you have space, and time, and a little bit of room in your heart and in your mind and you want to make a positive difference to a child's life, think about fostering,' she says. 'I would encourage anyone considering it to get in touch with other foster carers. There are branches, hubs and support groups, so go talk to them and to foster carers in your local area. Find out what the supports are like and get in touch. Don't dismiss it, just think about it, because if you've considered it, then fostering is probably for you.' For more information on fostering, see or call freephone 1800-226771 to be connected with a social worker in your local area who can talk to you about what is involved and what might work for you
