There are 11.8 million children know to be living in the UK. It is thought there could be as many as 1 million other children living here who are unregistered, and therefore unknown. Some have been trafficked into the country to work in the sex industry, or as cheap labour in our sweatshops. Others have been smuggled in, or sent from third-world countries to be privately fostered in the hope of escaping abject poverty. Some will have come in on forged passports, or under visitor’s visa that have expired. Others many have been born here to parents who are not registered themselves. No one really knows the true picture, but these children live isolated and perilous. They are outside of, and unprotected by our society, and often only come to our attention, when something goes dreadfully wrong.
This is the horrendous story of one such child who came into Cathy’s care.
Cathy has been a foster carer for over 25 years, during which time she has looked after more than 150 children, of all ages and backgrounds. She is a specialist foster carer, also referred to as a level three carer, which means she often looks after children with complex needs or those with very challenging behaviour. Much of her inspiration for writing comes from fostering. She was awarded a degree in education and psychology, as a mature student.
Cathy has always combined fostering with writing, rising very early every morning in order to write, before the day begins with her ever changi...
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