There was just a local story about an Asian household worker who was taken advantage of by her employer.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/18/chinese-nanny-beaten-starved-treated-like-a-dog-in-wealthy-minn-suburb-authorities-say/
I’m curious what kind of job this girl would get and what is going to happen next!
Too much is fishy with this girl. How could a 16 year old who just arrived in this country and speaks very little Engish, obtain a job in two days and find a place to live? Perhaps she ran away? Perhaps someone who is not on the up and up contacted her? Perhaps she knows someone in the US? The fact that she told you not to contact her is not a good sign. Clearly her parents need to be told. Clearly the program as well. If you cannot contact either, I would contact police and inform them and ask them what to do. Her being just 16 and under your purview for an aspect of her stay in the US means you really need to do something and not wait. Can you update us?
Maybe she isn’t the one who told you not to contact her. Maybe hee abductor impersonated her!
Agree that you should call the police. And not wait. I’m surprised you cannot reach anyone from the program on a Sunday. I would never want to have a minor child with me that I could not reach someone from the responsible program at all times. Surely, you’re not the first person to have an emergency on the weekend. Good luck.
This might explain her first question when she arrived: “When can I get a phone?”
She may have been lured here by an online “friend” and be in a dangerous situation now. Did she use your computers at all? Someone may be able to see who she was in contact with. Please update after you have talked to the police.
There MUST be an emergency # for the agency that sponsors these students. Call every one you can find,. NOW.
Yes, @jym626 the first program I randomly googled, AYUSA, clearly said they had people available 24/7 to host families for emergencies. I would never take a minor into my home that didn’t have that kind of emergency support. There must be paperwork given to the OP that spells out what to do in an emergency?
Is that the program they came in through, @sevmom ? Of COURSE they will have 24/7 contact numbers. These are minors for whom they are responsible.
I have no idea. I’m just saying, the OP says she can’t reach someone because it’s Sunday. That would be unacceptable to me.
And it does not make sense. We had au pairs ( the OP has apparently as well) and there was ALWAYS and emergency contact person/local rep available 24/7.
Not to mention regulations that require the agencies to report certain kinds of emergencies to the state department within 24 hours etc. Any reputable agency will have 24/7 emergency reporting numbers. It might be adifferent phone number than the one the OP has called before, but there is sure to be a number in the paperwork provided to the OP.
I’m hoping that this has been reported to the appropriate authorities by now.
Yes, makes no sense.
The police are available 24/7. If you contact them about a missing foreign exchange student, my bet is the Police will find a way to contact the sponsoring agency.
It certainly does not make sense. I have never heard of any of this type of arrangement where you don’t have contact info and someone available 24/7. There is always someone available.
Call the police NOW! If this story is for real, this could be a human trafficking situation.
Am guessing here that the sponsoring agency has a local contact not available on Sunday. The organization has to have some sort of number. There is probably a network of folks who want workers in the USA for below US minimum wage, and the ability to speak English does not matter. This could be with or without parental approval and knowledge. I’m not sure what age rural kids go off to work the factories, but she might be of an age where folks do that in China. However, this is the USA, laws apply, and there could be shady things going on that endanger her welfare. I agree with calling the police, though it probably feels like betraying her confidence.
Yes, human trafficking or a lure from a pedophile were the first things that crossed my mind. If this is for real, I would think the OP could have some liability if they knew about this 16 year old leaving their home and did nothing about it.
Betraying whose confidence?? A 16 yr old who barely speaks the language, has been here for a day, wants a cellphone, and for whom fauxmaven has responsibility?? Huh?? There is no confidence being betrayed. This kid/kids family had to have signed an agreement that the kid, if this is true, has violated. That, or the kid is in danger. Confidence shmonfidence. Call the responsible parties/authority. If faux does not, she would probably be violating her agreement with the agency. If she has had 5 au pair’s in the past, she should know what to do in this situation.
Agree. I would not worry for one second about betraying her confidence with what the OP is saying has happened.