Understanding the journey: Guam Bar Association to launch new book on foster care

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

The Guam Bar Association will launch a new children’s book that illuminates the foster care journey and celebrates island heritage and community strength.

“Mames yan Matias” will be publicly released on May 14,  from 3:30 p.m. to 5

 p.m. at Harvest House in Barrigada, coinciding with the observance of Foster

Care Awareness Month.

“Mames yan Matias” follows the emotional journey of two children separated from their parents, guiding readers of all ages through the complexities of foster care.

Through its simple yet powerful narrative, the book helps readers understand

the work being done by families, social workers and the courts to ensure children are safe, supported, and—when possible—reunited with their families.

Designed for students, families, educators and child welfare professionals, “Mames yan Matias” offers a meaningful way to start conversations about family, loss, hope and healing.

Its accessible language is thoughtfully crafted to ensure young readers can relate to and comprehend the themes, while providing adults

with a helpful tool for navigating these challenging topics.

The book is available in English, with translations in CHamoru and Chuukese, reflecting the significance

of island languages in maintaining cultural connections across generations.

The story incorporates repeated adjectives to make learning the island languages more engaging and memorable for readers.

The repetition, combined with a glossary of key terms, helps younger readers better grasp the meaning of the vocabulary.

Special prompts are also included throughout the story to encourage interaction, whether a teacher is reading the book to a class or by caregivers to children at home.

With approximately 600 children currently in foster care on Guam, “Mames yan Matias” offers a compassionate, clear understanding of the foster care process. It serves as an educational tool and a call to action, inspiring readers 

to approach sensitive situations with empathy, care and an increased awareness

 of their role in supporting children in need.

Carmen Ulloa-Kasperbauer, a former journalist, developed the book inspired by the leadership and vision of  Jacqueline Terlaje, GBA president and a devoted foster parent; and Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood of the District

Court of Guam, former president of the Pacific Judicial Council.

Terlaje and Tydingco-Gatewood have spent many years working on complex cases involving child abuse, neglect, domestic issues and criminal matters, bringing a depth of understanding and compassion to this project. 

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