CPFSA Removes Five Abandoned Babies From Spanish Town Hospital

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) has removed all five babies who had been abandoned by their parents at the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine, following concerns over the length of time they had remained at the facility.

The agency said it has secured the necessary court orders and placed the children in care arrangements based on their individual needs.

Two of the babies have been placed in familial environments through the CPFSA’s Foster Care programme, while a third child, who has special needs, has been placed at a facility equipped to meet those needs.

The remaining two children are under the direct supervision of the State at a CPFSA nursery, as their cases are currently before the court.

CPFSA Chief Executive Officer Laurette Adams Thomas said the five cases involved different circumstances that contributed to delays in finding appropriate placements.

She acknowledged that the children had remained at the hospital longer than the agency would have wanted, while noting that there is no law or official protocol governing how long a child can remain at a hospital serving as a place of safety.

Adams Thomas said placement decisions depend on several factors, including the availability of suitable spaces, the children’s medical and other needs, the availability of foster families, and specific legal or family circumstances.

Family tracing can also affect the process, she added.

The development follows concerns raised by the Spanish Town Hospital about children and other vulnerable people remaining at the facility long after being discharged.

Hospital records had shown that four of the five children, ranging in age from 10 months to two and a half years, had spent almost their entire lives at the hospital after reportedly being abandoned by their parents for adoption.

The fifth child, a one-and-a-half-year-old boy, had remained at the hospital for 11 months after being discharged.

Spanish Town Hospital Chief Executive Officer Jacqueline Ellis had described the situation as unacceptable, warning that prolonged stays in a hospital environment could negatively affect the children’s development.

The hospital had also been covering the children’s basic needs, including diapers, wipes and meals.

CPFSA said its officers continue to follow up on active cases involving children in hospitals and provide material support to hospitals caring for them.

The agency is encouraging Jamaicans who have the resources to become foster parents to come forward, citing a shortage of suitable foster placements.

The issue has also highlighted broader concerns about the strain social cases place on Jamaica’s public health system, with Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton previously calling for a multi-agency approach to prevent social cases from occupying hospital beds needed for patients requiring medical treatment.

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