Taking a child away from their mother isn't easy – but sometimes it's necessary

Taking a child away from their mother isn't easy – but sometimes it's necessary As a nurse, sometimes I have to confront the fact that parents can do terrible things to their children

I watch as my staff nurse colleague hands a two-year-old child into the waiting arms of the social worker who has just returned from court. He’s being taken into temporary foster care under an interim care order. It’s a decision we’ve been working towards for months, which I believe to be right. It should feel like a victory but it really doesn’t.

I’m on the children’s ward surrounded by carrier bags containing this boy’s belongings. I’m hoping his mother has left him some familiar item of comfort for later on tonight; a cuddly toy or a special blanket, perhaps. He’s been on the ward for weeks and the staff have grown fond of him. We’re sorry to see him go, but hoping that it’ll be for the best. Continue reading... The Guardian