World Day Against Child Labor

June 12 is World day Against Child Labour - a day set aside to promote awareness and action to tackle child labour. In a message for the Day, the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation, Juan Somavia, says this year's focus is on girls trapped in child labour, toiling in the fields from sunrise to sunset. ILO is also highlighting the plight of girls working unseen in domestic labour or those living and working on the streets around the world. The ILO estimates that some 100 hundred millions girls are in child labour, with 53 million in hazardous work. Most importantly , the organisation says that investing in girls' education and training is an investment in equality and social progress. It adds that a girl with education is better equipped to break the cycle of child labour and poverty. The UN childrens agency, UNICEF, which is also marking the day, has called for action to tackle the underlying poverty that leads to child labour. UNICEF stresses that improving access to quality education, particularly for girls in poor and rural areas, is a key part of an effective overall approach.

When Mothers Kill: Could this Child have been Saved?

On May 13, while playing with her children at an Albuquerque, New Mexico playground, a woman made a gruesome discovery. The mother noticed a small sneaker buried in the sand. Thinking that it belonged to one of the children at the playground, she attempted to recover it, and return the sneaker to its rightful owner. Instead, she made a discovery that was unimaginable. Attached to the sneaker was the body of a three-year-old boy. For nearly one week, authorities searched desperately to identify the child -- circulating sketches throughout the neighborhood. The toddler was soon identified as Tyruss Toribio. What is so shocking about this story is that Tyruss was smothered to death by his mother, 23-year-old, Tiffany Toribio, a member of the Zia Pueblo Indian tribe.

Apparently, Tiffany had been asked to leave both her mother's and a friend's home because she was ignoring her son, and "witholding affection." With no place to go, both she and her son slept for days in the very same park his body was found. A strange twist to this story is that young Tyruss appeared to have been well cared for; and, there was no immediate evidence of abuse. So, what went wrong here? According to authorities, Tiffany smothered her baby boy while he was sleeping on a climbing gym. When asked how she could have committed such a despicable crime, Ms. Toribio stated that, "she did not want her son to be raised with no one caring about him the same way she had to grow up with no one caring about her," according to Police Chief Ray Schultz.

So, Tiffany has been branded a horrible mother, and has been judged solely responsible for her son's death. End of story, right? Wrong. It has to be explained to me how not one, but two people could have not only kicked this woman and her child to the streets, but do so after they both claim that she was not physically or emotionally attentive to her son? Why didn't anyone call the police or social services to voice their concerns? My question is, is Tiffany the only culprit here? Could this child have been saved?

Although she had been labeled a "partier," Ms. Toribio had no criminal record, or a history of either drug or alcohol abuse. This leaves me to believe that she may very well suffer from some form of mental illness that had not been diagnosed or treated. If this is in fact the case, then the death of little Tyruss, not only lies on the shoulder of his mother, but on society as a whole.

According to Women's Health USA, mental disorders are most common amongst women between the ages of 18-25, with close to 23 percent of this age group showing signs of serious psychological distress. Twice as many women have diagnosable mental illness as their male counter parts. Yet, women are less likely to receive proper treatment, or support.

My heart goes out to the Toribio family. The death of a child is never easy to grasp – especially when it is at the hands of its mother. However, I can’t help but feel that the support net for Tiffany failed as well. First, if Tiffany’s non-responsive behavior towards her child was so severe that she was thrown out of not one, but two homes, a call to HHS and the police should have been placed. Ms. Toribio was in apparent need of psychological assistance. Second, what concerned individual would kick a child and his non-attentive mother out into the streets? Did they not fear for the child’s safety?

I just don’t get it.

In Memory Of Caylee Anthony

As I am sure most of you already know, the body of the little girl found a few days ago has been identified as that of Caylee Anthony. I am saddened beyond belief -- so much so, that I can't even find words. So, here is a video in memory of young Caylee. May God have mercy on the soul that did this to this poor little angel.

A Heartbreaking Story: Eight Year Old Kills Father and Father's Friend

This story is sad beyond belief. An 8 year old from St John's, Arizona, has been charged with the shooting death of his father, and his father's coworker, who rented a room in the house. Although other news reports have done so, I will not use the family's name. What is truly horrifying about this incident, is that this was apparently no accident: the third grader allegedly confessed to police that he planned the murders. The victims were shot execution style. The St John's police department is pressing to charge the child with first degree murder, as an adult.

I must say that I have to question the circumstances surrounding the confession. There was no adult, or attorney present when the child was questioned. The fact that the police department had this child in custody, questioning him without a parent or legal guardian, which by the way is illegal, just does not sit right with me. The child more than likely was in shock, and I have to question the tactics used by the police department to get the child to confess while under duress. I seriously doubt that an 8 year old can fully understand the intensity of this type of situation.

From all accounts this boy and his father had an extremely tight bond -- a fantastic relationship. The neighbors, the school, the pastor, everyone described the boy and his father as pillars of the community. What strikes me the most in cases such as this is there are almost always comments from the community depicting the characters involved as fantastic people, who had no issues at home. Well, if his confession holds true, in order for this child to plan and execute such a heinous crime that most adults deem unspeakable, there had to be something wrong in that household. While most third graders are planning birthday parties, etc., this child was planning to kill his parent. Something was definitely wrong. Although there have never been any complaints or signs of child abuse, the police department is seeking to make this a determining factor.

As I think about this story more and more, something just does not seem to fit in this case. The child was an excellent student, and had never been in trouble prior to the shootings. Nor does it appear that the child had any psychological issues. From all accounts, he was a normal healthy 8 year old. It could be possible that the coworker was the abuser. It could also be possible that the coworker murdered the father, and the child responded in self defense. It is also possible that someone was invading the home, and the child was again, acting in self defense. According to the child's defense attorney, the police department has no physical evidence to link the child to his father's murder. There are so many different scenarios that could fit this tragedy. We'll just have to await the outcome.

One issue that was brought to the forefront was that the father, an avid hunter, actually taught his son how to use guns. This raises the question as to whether or not it is appropriate for someone so young to be able to use something so deadly. On the day that his father was buried, the 8 year old was in a court room, in handcuffs and shackles. There lies the tragedy.

Viewpoints are welcome.

National Center For Missing and Exploited Children's Creates New Guidelines for Call Centers

One of the most devastating occurrences in life is the loss of a child. It is estimated that over 800,000 children are reported missing yearly. Of this 800,000, approximately 58,000 are non-family abductions -- 115 ending in death. ransom, or the victim being kept permanently by her/his abductor.

In its constant quest to save missing and exploited children, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has initiated new guidelines for its call centers. To review these new guidelines, please click the link below. Don't think I need to explain how important this is.

http://www.missingkids.com/911standards

These Babies Desparately Need Your Help

While reading a non-related article on msnbc.com, I came across another article, and was reminded of a disturbing crisis that was brought to my attention nearly ten years ago. The issue is the "restavek's" of Haiti. This, if not already, should be, a subject that is chilling to the bone for parents, as well as the international community at large. The plight of these children will bring tears to your eyes.

Restavek's (stay withs) are the poorest of children in Haiti, who have been committed to servitude by their parents. The parents are convinced that their children will get the necessary education and care that they themselves are unable to provide. Although most of us will judge and deem this unimaginable, what has to be understood is that I am talking about the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. For these poor families, there is, unfortunately, no other alternative; and, the wish to educate these children and provide better lives for them is what is being exploited.

It is estimated that approximately 300,000 children are either left on the door, or through other arrangements, given to families to work for the assurance of obtaining education. What is actually occurring, is these children are most often abused. Most will lose total contact with their families, and never see them again. 80% of these children are female, are between the ages of 10 -14, are sexually abused, and are forced to work 10 - 14 hour days. Generally, by age 15, these children are released, and forced to live on the streets -- many opting to work as prostitutes in order to survive. If a young girl is raped and becomes pregnant, she is thrown out to fend for herself...no matter what the age.

This atrocity should no longer exist as we travel into the 21st Century. It is so easy for us to overlook these children. Afterall, they are not our responsibility, right? Well, in all good conscience, I cannot believe that to be the truth. It is our responsibility to protect all children. I look at things this way, we never know when we might need something in return, and this could be any one of our children one day. Please get involved.

To find out more on this subject, please go to: http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/media/reports/iclp/Advancing1/html/haiti.htm, http://www.haitiprojects.org/, and, http://beyondborders.net/.


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