A desperate plea has been issued to find a loving family for an 11-year-old boy who has been placed in more than 20 ‘unsuitable’ foster homes.
The inconceivable upbringing has left the dog-loving, Pokemon-obsessed child traumatised and with deep self-esteem issues.
‘He has missed out on being a child, because of his circumstances,’ his temporary carer Eddie Thornley told The Daily Telegraph.
A desperate plea has been issued to find a loving family for an 11-year-old boy who has been placed in more than 20 ‘unsuitable’ foster homes (stock image)
Marist 180, a Catholic care agency based in western Sydney, has launched a public appeal to find the boy a stable home.
‘He has been through 22 different placements in an overloaded system, and none of them have been suitable,’ Marist 180’s Mariham Basta told the paper.
‘The family that takes him in needs to be thick-skinned, to expect that he will seek attention, or be clingy, but it is his way of saying he is not coping.’
Ms Basta said the organisation would continue to pay for counselling sessions for the child and would also give up to $100 per day to help fund his care.
According to New South Wales law, only children under 12 years old must be placed in foster homes.
With his twelfth birthday in a matter of weeks, Ms Basta warned that time is running out for the pre-teenager, who could soon find himself living in hotels or a group home.
The inconceivable upbringing has left the dog-loving, Pokemon-obsessed child traumatised and with deep self-esteem issues (stock image)
NSW Family and Community Services said it was working with Non Government Organisations to find placements for children in foster care across the state.
‘While FACS cannot comment on individual cases, we support NGOs to find the best placements for all children who cannot stay at home with their families,’ a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia in a statement.
‘This year we need 660 new foster carers across NSW from all walks of life… FACS is working with the sector to get better outcomes for children and families.’
The spokesperson said most of the state’s 18,000 children in out-of-home care ‘are in stable and secure placements.’
‘We work to move children out of emergency accommodation as quickly as possible without disrupting other important aspects of their lives, like being with their siblings, staying at the same school and being close to services and supports they’re familiar with,’ they said.
‘Last year FACS assumed around 2,900 children into care. This was around 25 per cent fewer children than the previous year.
‘But it was still more than the places immediately available to those children in extended family or foster carers’ homes.’
Anyone interested in being a carer should phone 1800 236 783, the spokesperson said.