The Girl Who Wanted to Belong: The True Story of a Devastated Little Girl and the Foster Carer who Healed her Broken Heart

This is a well-documented account of how experienced foster parents, Angela and Jonathan take Lucy ostensibly temporarily into their home. There is so much warmth, compassion, selflessness and understanding in Angela's approach to fostering Lucy with commendable support from Jonathan. Angela knows from experience that eight-year-old Lucy comes with a history which is sketchily drawn up and there is the possibility of emotional baggage. Often records are inaccurate or written by a jaundiced ex-carer or family member. Lucy is a delightful child but she can be manipulative, and she's distinctly plausible. She idolises her father, Dean and desperately wants to have quality time at home with her daddy and her siblings. Sadly, Dean has brought a controlling, battleaxe female into the family called Wendy. There's a brick wall between Wendy and Lucy which ends in her removal from the family. Dean is disinclined to stand up against Wendy and does not engage in fighting from Lucy's corner. It's hard to believe he would sacrifice Lucy for this indomitable woman. This is the heartbreaking part. Angela is asked to support Lucy towards re-integration back into the family. Can she manage this challenge or are other forces working against her? Her problems start with trying to get Lucy into a local school. She needs special educational needs provision (SEN), but Angela is headed off time and time again by schools that are reluctant to admit a child who requires SEN support. There isn't the funding or the willingness. Angela exposes a huge hole of reluctance in the SEN funding in schools. They desperately need better funding in schools and specially qualified staff who know how to meet the needs of children like Lucy and many others. I liked how Angela carefully chose her moment and chose her battles when forced to discuss sensitive matters with Lucy. The book gives an excellent portrait of fostering. Every mother knows that children can be a challenge but foster parents have to deal with social workers, birth parents, contact, meetings and problems with schools and endless training sessions. They have to be patient with agencies who would prefer to fob them off. The unfairness of Lucy's situation makes my blood boil. How will Angela and Jonathan cope with all these complications? Thank you to NetGalley and Bluebird publishers for such an eye-opening read.

I am trying to find the third book in this series Please help, thank you

Loved it!