EASILY FOOLED!!

I have written often of the children we have fostered over the years.

This evening I was going through old photos, and in among the millions I found this one.

The little boy in the picture is Charlie. The girls are mine-from the left, Shirley Ann, Kerry Lyn and Lisa Jane.

Charlie was 2 years old when he came to us as a place of safety placement, and stayed for 6 months. His parents were french, (my girls used to call him 'frogs legs') children can be cruel can't they. 

His father was a lot older than his mother. Charlie was the middle of 3 small boys. He was also the only one in a foster home for the simple reason  that his mother could not bond with him, 'didn't like him' were the exact words used by the social worker, and he had been removed due to her treatment of the child. How do you not like your child to the point that he is taken away??

Lisa, on the Right, was incredibly jealous of him. One morning I heard the kitchen door slam and loud wailing cries coming from outside. I just KNEW that Lisa was at the bottom of it. I was right.... she had shut him outside and told him to go home. This became a regular occurence with her, I was always rescuing Charlie!

His mother did not show much interest in him at all and seldom came to visit him. Then suddenly after about 3 months she became more and more involved until she was allowed to see him every weekend. 

By the time six months had passed, she had convinced the Welfare that she was fit to take care of him and she loved him very much.

He was returned to his parents and 2 siblings.

The day he went back we took him and were invited to a braai as a thank you. They seemed like a normal family, this was definitely a success for the Welfare as their first objective is to rehabilitate families.

Two weeks later my husband and I were watching Police File on TV when some very familiar faces appeared on the screen. The Police were looking for a couple with 3 small boys who had stolen a caravan that they had hired and disappeared with it. They were criminals and con artists! They were believed to be in Zimbabwe, if anyone had any information as to their exact whereabouts to contact the Police! 

All the pieces fell into place, this had been planned. They had to get Charlie back before they 'disappeared'!

Wow! I could hardly believe what I saw and heard. But then what does a criminal, rapist, child molester, murderer look like?

I'll tell you, just like you and me!!!