Quyen sent us a Christmas card last month.
Lynne Chitty, our UK Care Director, met Quyen when she was 16. She arrived in the UK from France, where she had been trafficked and sexually exploited.
On arrival into the UK at the age of 16, she was placed into foster care. Within a few days she went missing and returned to her traffickers. Over two weeks later she was found by police in a nail bar in Bristol. This is a tragically familiar journey we hear with many of the children trafficked into the UK.
Since being found by the police three years ago, Lynne has journeyed with Quyen — initially helping her through the police investigations and offering her one-to-one support. Lynne also provided training to the foster carers entrusted at the time to accommodate Quyen. This training and ongoing support proved invaluable for Quyen, who remained safe as she adjusted to her new life in the UK.
Foster carers continue to play a pivotal role in the safeguarding of children trafficked into the UK.
Love146 has trained hundreds of carers and frontline staff (NHS, Children’s Services, Education) to ensure children are safe, secure, and free from harm. This is the right of every child.
Quyen, now 19 years old, is exploring college courses, something she would not have dreamed of three years ago. This past Christmas, as we have the past couple years, we received a Christmas card from Quyen thanking us for the support, a gesture that highlights the power of journeying with a child “for as long as it takes.”
