advice please

[David Roth]

moodylisa, I am so sorry to hear that this hasn't worked out.

You did the right thing in offering this girl a place to stay when she had to leave her aunt. She might not appreciate what you did for her now, but she may come in future to understand and appreciate the time she spent with you and your family.

It is hard to say how long it will take to find a foster home for her. Most local authorities don't have enough foster carers, and if there are carers with vacancies they may not be the right people for your young person. They may be waiting for another young person to move on, so a place becomes available.

I can only advise you to be persistent in trying to contact the responsible social worker, and perhaps going to their manager if they continue to not answer your calls. Both you and the girl need to be able to make your plans for Christmas.

It may help her if you are able to stay in touch after she has moved on - she might find it easier to be on friendly terms once she is no longer living with you. Also, I always think it is quite sad for children in the care system when they have to move and lose touch with so many of the people they know before the move. It might help her to have some feelings of stability in her life if you can stay in touch with her.