While investigations are under way and a court day is around the corner for the Plett couple, Minister Balderamos Garcia says she has remained in close contact with the biological mother and father of the deceased foster child. She says that her ministry has taken full responsibility for what they call an "isolated incident" and have taken up the authority of covering all Ayana's funeral costs.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development
"Absolutely we've been in touch I think Mr. Vargas went personally with the biological mother, and also has been in consultation with the father of the child, as a matter of fact, the child having been a ward of the state. We are responsible as a ministry to assist in the burial so that all of that has been discussed. And there is no way that we are going to drop the ball, not at a time like this, in terms of our outreach and the responsibility that we have to take as a ministry."
"I don't want to use the word blame, the responsibility because the child was a ward of state is definitely with us, and there is no way government can run from that and we would never seek to do that so it is a matter of discussion it is a matter of good faith talks back-and-forth and you know we will make sure that we have to, we will make sure that we do what we need to do as a ministry of government."
