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When good kids do bad things

Unfortunately not every day of fostering is a good day.

Some kids you look after are troubled, and need extra guidance.

Sometimes you, as the carer, do everything right, and things still go wrong.

We have a kid at the mo who is into knife crime. Like all carers our knives and other dangerous items are locked away, and boundaries and rules have been set to minimise the risk to ourselves. But despite that, they still managed to steal some knives over the weekend then took them to school.

They will be sanctioned by social services and there will be negative consequences. However what's more important to us, is getting this kid back on the right path.

Why did they steal? What did they think they were going to do with the weapons? Why do they think they need them?

What are the alternatives? How can we help them escape crime and point them in the right direction?

These are big questions, and there will be a series of small steps put in place to hopefully turn them around. They're not going to change overnight but everyone around this child needs to keep supporting them and guiding them out of crime and into a stable future.

As for the items stolen. These were recovered straight away, and extra precautions will be taken. We're just a bit sad that a kid feels they need to resort to stealing then carrying weapons.

Fingers crossed they pull thru.

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