Homeless kids now with DYS

The two children who were earlier reported as staying at the local hospital with their homeless mother and grandmother are now in the custody of the Division of Youth Services Children Protection Unit.

DYS director Debra Inos confirmed yesterday that the children of Carmen Cepeda are now with the DYS unit that shelters children with the same case. Dexter, 9, and Dextro, 12, have been taken from their mother with consent.

Cepeda told Saipan Tribune yesterday that her children were taken from the hospital last Friday. Although it broke her heart to see her children leave her side, Cepeda said she knows that the division would take good care of them.

She earlier said that her children couldn’t go to school because their clothes have been locked inside their former home in Koblerville.

Dexter used to go to the Koblerville Elementary School, while Dextro used to attend Hopwood Junior High School.

Cepeda said she couldn’t wait to be reunited with her children as soon as the government helps them find a house.

Inos said a caseworker is now handling the children’s welfare to ensure that they continue their daily activities such as schooling. “We make sure that their activities are not interrupted,” she said.

As per federal guidelines, she could not disclose the place where the children are being kept but she assured the community that the children are in good hands.

STILL WAITING

Cepeda, 40, remains at the Commonwealth Health Center where her 62-year-old mother, Dolores, is still being treated. Since treatment is not finished yet, she said both of them would remain in the hospital.

She said former Aging Office director Joseph Palacios has already talked with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office to help them find a home. Palacios had promised to get back to them this week to update them on the status of this assistance, she added.

As of yesterday afternoon, she remains waiting for the government’s response to their plea for help. She said she is thankful to Palacios for his help but added, “In all honesty, I am disappointed with them [local government] for not helping the local people who need help right away.”

The family has been offered shelter at the American Red Cross NMI Chapter but they would have to move after seven days to a more permanent home. Cepeda said she is grateful for the offer but this is not sufficient. “Where do we stay after the seven days?” she asked.

Cepeda, who worked as a security guard in Guam years ago, also suffers from knee and joint problems, which is why she couldn’t work full time. The last time she had her knee checked was in 1994 where, she said, the physician told her the problem was just a normal result of stress. “But until now the pain is still there,” she said.

Cepeda and her family came to Saipan from Guam in 2004. They were evicted from their bungalow home in Koblerville early this month when the landlord accused her children of doing mischief around the building. She said the landlord locked them out and until now their belongings are still inside the room.

For a family that only relies on food stamps, Cepeda said, she has nowhere to go and no one to turn to. She is pleading with the government and community for help in either finding a shelter for her family or some means for them to go back to Guam, where they have relatives.