ANOTHER FORGOTTEN CHILD

A True Story

When I first heard about Aimee I was horrified. The referral from the social services stated that Aimee kicked, bit her mother and pulled her mother's hair, and worst of all, Aimee had strangled some little kittens. The social worker was looking for a very experienced foster carer with no young children to take care of Aimee and I was asked. I had serious doubts, but I agreed to look after her.

Aimee arrived late one evening with nothing but what she stood up in - rags and plastic trainers with the toes out. She was dirty; her head was crawling with lice, and she had a very bad attitude. But there was something about her that I warmed to, something I felt I could work with, and when she snuggled into her bed that first night she was so grateful I nearly cried.

With firm boundaries, routine, care and attention Aimee began to make progress and trust me enough to confide. But the more she told me about her life before coming into care the angrier I became. It was clear that Aimee should have been removed from home much sooner, and I couldn't understand why she had been left to suffer. It seemed that Aimee had been forgotten.