Melissa Noel
Multimedia Journalist
Multimedia Journalist
While Caribbean "barrel children" typically receive money and goods, they often lack the emotional support they need. Reporter Melissa Noel shares lessons from the field.
"The longer apart these children are from their parents, the more trauma sets in,” said Andrea Crichlow, a Brooklyn-based social worker from Barbados. Nor does family reunification alone fix the damage.
In more than 30 interviews over six months with children, teachers, mental health professionals and parents, a reporter explored how parental migration from the Caribbean effects the well-being of children throughout their lives.
The Carribean children left behind after parents migrate can suffer from depression, low self-esteem and feelings of abandonment. Such feelings can lead to problems in school and leave kids vulnerable to abuse.