Homeward bound

John and Michael were taken away from their parents after years of neglect and physical abuse. Social workers put the five and six-year-old siblings into care and, after several emergency placements, a foster family was eventually found that was able and willing to take them.

It wasn’t easy finding a family for two brothers their age – social workers had to put in a lot of effort. No places were available near where the boys had been living, and they ended up in a new home 40 miles away. A local school had to be found, but because all the ones in the area were already at full capacity, the boys spent most of their early days in foster care in the house.