Andra (47 years old) and Baxter (51 years old) have been married for the past seventeen years and are parents to Simon (18), Adrian (16) and Navita (12). Both of them are employed on a full-‐time basis – Andra is a supervisor at the Courts Home Store (CMS) while Baxter works as a Mathematics teacher at a private secondary school in the city. The family resides in a well-established community of about 500 persons living in two- and three-bedroom units, developed with government assistance almost 20 years ago – Suttons Place. They had the option of renting-to-own or obtaining a mortgage to purchase their property and opted for the latter arrangement as they believed they could comfortably afford the 30-‐year mortgage. They have been paying their mortgage for the past eight years and were even able to build an additional room so that each of the children has a room of their own to sleep in. The eldest child is preparing for his Advanced Level examinations in the next few months and hopes to be able to enroll in university in Barbados to start studies in Law, while Adrian is preparing to enter Form 5 in September and Navita, Form 2. They generally managed to keep focus at the beginning of the pandemic but are now increasingly fatigued and find it difficult to maintain the grades they were accustomed to, and perform at their best. With the pandemic seemingly not letting up, Andra and Baxter have found themselves in some difficulty. Sales at CHS have significantly slowed and after six months last year, in September, management informed employees that in order to save jobs there would be a 10% cut in salaries for 6 months; and if things did not change, a period of furlough would follow from April 2021 until September 2021, by which time it is anticipated the economy will begin to pick-‐up as vaccines become available and the world returns to a state of normalcy. Baxter on the other hand, has had to go to the school at least three times for the week to use the facilities to prepare material for his classes and facilitate students who do not have access to remote learning. He too, is concerned as the principal recently informed staff that the school is owed fees from a number of students and that a significant decrease in enrolment is expected for the new term which starts in September. Suttons Place is representative of the majority of small towns on the island that is heavily dependent on destination tourism as well as manufacturing and agriculture to a lesser degree. Increasingly, a number of persons in the community are without full-‐time employment and there is a growing concern with the number of young persons loitering in the neighborhood; as well as an increase in members of the general public flouting Covid-‐19 regulations by hanging out in groups at local shops, the mini mart and basketball court, or flocking to the beaches on the weekend. Andra and Baxter, in contemplating their income options and ability to meet financial obligations, are considering sending their children to stay with relatives in the countryside for better supervision while they are at work; but communal living and inadequate amenities such as a reliable internet service for continuity of their online classes have them second-guessing if it is the right decision at this time. Additionally, Baxter’s 79-year old mother recently developed a cough that does not seem to want to go away. She refuses to visit the hospital as she believes there is no way she could get the flu everyone is talking about as all she does is sell provisions in a stall at the front of her home which is in the countryside, more than an hour away from where her son lives. Andra and Baxter are very hopeful for a change in the country’s fortunes. A recent press release by the Ministry of Health informed citizens that the first set of vaccines for its population of almost 300 thousand, most of whom are over the age of 40, had arrived in the country and distribution will be starting soon, beginning with health care providers and other members of the essential services. There are questions as to the availability for persons perceived to be more vulnerable as, for example, both Andra and Baxter believe themselves to be in that category. The government is negotiating to get supplies via donation as it is hampered by significant budgetary constraints and international competition in the race to get vaccines. Securing enough for its population however, will help fulfill prospective international requirements for impending Covid-‐19 passports that will allow for free movement and stimulation of the world’s economy. a) What are the prospective challenges facing families like Andra and Baxter’s, inclusive of extended family members, in the ongoing pandemic? b) What specific measures can Social Welfare Services use to ascertain and address the needs, real and perceived, of families in these situations?
Andra (47 years old) and Baxter (51 years old) have been married for the past seventeen years and are parents to Simon (18), Adrian (16) and Navita (12). Both of them are employed on a full-‐time basis – Andra is a supervisor at the Courts Home Store (CMS) while Baxter works as a Mathematics teacher at a private secondary school in the city.
The family resides in a well-established community of about 500 persons living in two- and three-bedroom units, developed with government assistance almost 20 years ago – Suttons Place. They had the option of renting-to-own or obtaining a mortgage to purchase their property and opted for the latter arrangement as they believed they could comfortably afford the 30-‐year mortgage. They have been paying their mortgage for the past eight years and were even able to build an additional room so that each of the children has a room of their own to sleep in.
The eldest child is preparing for his Advanced Level examinations in the next few months and hopes to be able to enroll in university in Barbados to start studies in Law, while Adrian is preparing to enter Form 5 in September and Navita, Form 2. They generally managed to keep focus at the beginning of the pandemic but are now increasingly fatigued and find it difficult to maintain the grades they were accustomed to, and perform at their best.
With the pandemic seemingly not letting up, Andra and Baxter have found themselves in some difficulty. Sales at CHS have significantly slowed and after six months last year, in September, management informed employees that in order to save jobs there would be a 10% cut in salaries for 6 months; and if things did not change, a period of furlough would follow from April 2021 until September 2021, by which time it is anticipated the economy will begin to pick-‐up as vaccines become available and the world returns to a state of normalcy. Baxter on the other hand, has had to go to the school at least three times for the week to use the facilities to prepare material for his classes and facilitate students who do not have access to remote learning. He too, is concerned as the principal recently informed staff that the school is owed fees from a number of students and that a significant decrease in enrolment is expected for the new term which starts in September.
Suttons Place is representative of the majority of small towns on the island that is heavily dependent on destination tourism as well as manufacturing and agriculture to a lesser degree. Increasingly, a number of persons in the community are without full-‐time employment and there is a growing concern with the number of young persons loitering in the neighborhood; as well as an increase in members of the general public flouting Covid-‐19 regulations by hanging out in groups at local shops, the mini mart and basketball court, or flocking to the beaches on the weekend.
Andra and Baxter, in contemplating their income options and ability to meet financial obligations, are considering sending their children to stay with relatives in the countryside for better supervision while they are at work; but communal living and inadequate amenities such as a reliable internet service for continuity of their online classes have them second-guessing if it is the right decision at this time. Additionally, Baxter’s 79-year old mother recently developed a cough that does not seem to want to go away. She refuses to visit the hospital as she believes there is no way she could get the flu everyone is talking about as all she does is sell provisions in a stall at the front of her home which is in the countryside, more than an hour away from where her son lives.
Andra and Baxter are very hopeful for a change in the country’s fortunes. A recent press release by the Ministry of Health informed citizens that the first set of vaccines for its population of almost 300 thousand, most of whom are over the age of 40, had arrived in the country and distribution will be starting soon, beginning with health care providers and other members of the essential services. There are questions as to the availability for persons perceived to be more vulnerable as, for example, both Andra and Baxter believe themselves to be in that category.
The government is negotiating to get supplies via donation as it is hampered by significant budgetary constraints and international competition in the race to get vaccines. Securing enough for its population however, will help fulfill prospective international requirements for impending Covid-‐19 passports that will allow for free movement and stimulation of the world’s economy.
a) What are the prospective challenges facing families like Andra and Baxter’s, inclusive of extended family members, in the ongoing pandemic?
b) What specific measures can Social Welfare Services use to ascertain and address the needs, real and perceived, of families in these situations?
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