Don’t be afraid of State care - Mother encourages parents to explore option for troubled children

For many parents, having to send a child to State care is possibly one of the most painful experiences or greatest fears. But for Narine Lowe, mother of award-winning student Georgon Gardiner, it was a necessary step toward saving her daughter's future. She is encouraging other mothers in similar situations to do the same if necessary.

"Don't hesitate to reach out to the CPFSA (Child Protection and Family Services Agency). They have family counsellors, house mothers who take excellent care of the children. I stayed involved with Georgon, and I'm glad I did," she said.

"People who I looked to for advice and people from my community say to me 'Weh you a carry her go deh for?' And I told them that as a parent, I had to protect her from herself. When you see your child going down the wrong way you want to do everything to ensure that they do the right thing," Lowe shared. She reflected on the heart-breaking moment that she sought intervention from the CPFSA.

"I tried everything. Speaking to her, asking family and friends to help reaching her. But she just wouldn't listen," Lowe said. After exhausting every option, Lowe sent the then 14-year-old Georgon into care. It was a choice that would ultimately shape the young girl's life in ways neither could have imagined.

Georgon, now 18, and a student at Caribbean Online Academy, looks back on her time in State care with a sense of resilience.

"When I first went there, I was so sad. I lost weight and I cried all the time. But eventually, I found comfort. It became like a home - a home away from home," she said. Though she felt the sting of separation from her mother, Georgon learned to adapt, make friends, and even bonded with the other children.

"I threw myself into activities like combing hair for the other children and playing games. It became fun in the end."

Georgon indicated that she spent time at two different homes that groomed her to be better and made her take education seriously.

"It was hard to manoeuvre online [learning], and there were so many distractions," she confessed. "But when I went back to school in person, I felt like I could really get on my feet."

Despite the obstacles, Georgon excelled academically. She recently received recognition for her outstanding performance in the CSEC exams, earning two ones, five twos, and a three. With aspirations to study microbiology and virology at the Biomedical Science University in Canada, Georgon is determined to make a meaningful contribution to the field of medicine.

"I don't want to wake up and go to work feeling like it's a chore. I want to do something I enjoy." Lowe couldn't be prouder.

"I'm very happy. I'm happy to see where she's come from to where she is now. It was hard for both of us but we never gave up on each other. Sometimes mi upset and say to miself, I'm not going to visit her cause she shoulda deh a her yard. But when mi lie down, my mind wasn't at ease. I didn't wait for them [CPFSA] to call me. I called them and I always stayed involved."

As Georgon prepares for the next chapter in her academic journey, she wants children and parents to know that State care doesn't have to be the end of the story.

"Just breathe," she said, offering advice to those facing tough times. "Life is simple. It's not that hard. Just take it one step at a time. It was a painful experience at first, but it shaped me into the person I am today. It taught me how to trust, how to relax, and how to take things one step at a time."