PROPOSITION

The following proposition was submitted to Ereina Hunt-Gorden, Family Support Coordinator and Policy Officer on Domestic Violence and Child Abuse, St. Eustatius.

The proposition reads:

‘Being sheltered as a child in a halfway house for victims of domestic violence always causes a negative impact on the development of the child.’

Ereina Hunt-Gorden:
‘Children who are placed out of their home without their parents face attachment issues. This always has a negative impact on the child. It is less of a problem for a child to be placed out of their home together with a parent, for example in domestic violence situations. The attachment between child and parent is intact, making the child feel safe.

But it is always better for a child to stay in their own familiar environment and not in a halfway house. It is better for the family if the parents are given counselling, support, and the tools to learn to become better parents.’