And if she didnt have a cellphone yet, how did she contact the OP and why give instructions not to contact her if there was not a way to do so? This is a bit hard to follow. How did she "leave the program? Did she have contacts in the US/ Did she somehow buy a disposable cellphone? Did she slip out in the dark of night??
I am waiting for this to turn up on my 6:30pm news now. This just sounds too bizarre.
I was speaking of how this may feel to fauxmaven, who tried to bond with her and make her comfortable. How it feels, not what should be done, as I am in sympathy with fauxmaven in this situation, who is in far deeper than she bargained for.
fauxmaven, please come back and let us know what efforts you have made to resolve this.
Perhaps she left a note? She could use google translate and copy it.
Human trafficking is the first thing that sprang to my mind.
What a stunner!
My first impulse would be to call the local coordinator/program also, but I agree: with a 16 yr old girl, if you can’t contact them call the police right away.
Fauxmom, if you don’t know how to contact anyone I bet the French girl does. I had no idea how to contact the agency either. I hope she’s busy dealing with this, there is certainly no need for her to keep the confidentiality of a 16yo girl she’s known for a few days.
“I had no idea how to contact the agency either.” That for me, if dealing with a minor, would have been a No Can Do from the get go.
@fauxmaven You may understandably be busy dealing with this situation. But given you posted that the girl basically ran away and you hadn’t been able to contact the program, I truly help you can return her to fill in some specifics. It is hard when a poster presents a problem, particularly a very concerning one, and people offer feedback or help, and are left hanging for more clarification and/or what happened next, and so on. So, please fill us in as many questions of concern have arisen in such an unusual sounding circumstance with which you shared so few details. Thanks in advance!
Let’s assume this is all true, if I were OP I would make sure I am following all protocols to make sure I wouldn’t be liable. What agency wouldn’t have emergency contact information, even Airbnb provides such number.
The OP was last active on CC 5 minutes ago, yet she hasn’t responded to any of these posts. Call me cynical but I’m having a hard time believing that this is real and not just yet another wild story.
As a mom who’s worried to death about the kid, I really hope it’s a totally made up story.
Ha ha, you got us. No real kids, no real disappearance, good story, you win the internet today. Really, I hope that’s what it is.
HELLO ALL:
This is not a NANNY or aupair. She is here for 2 weeks for the English Program. We are sure the smuggler paid her fees to get her into the USA.
We called 5 numbers of various people. Finally, the PRESIDENT of program called us.
We did call the police this AM. A Detective will be contacting us.
We are not responsible. She signed an agreement stating she would abide by rules of program.
HOMELAND SECURITY called my husband today.
She is 16, and the police and us are pretty sure that she will be traffiked.
She called the leader for Chinese students today and said she is “safe”. She is in NYC.
Oh brother.
Wow. I hope she is found soon.
That is crazy. What is this program? It does not sound legitimate at all.
I don’t know where you live, fauxmaven, but I would expect this story to be on the news. My son’s roommate disappeared and it was on all of our news channels, asking the community for help. The FBI was involved, the city and state police - it was an all-out manhunt. I would expect no less for a 16 yo who doesn’t speak the language who disappeared.
Yes, @fauxmaven, what is the name of this program?
This all sounds like an episode of Law & Order: SVU that I saw not long ago.
“We did call the police this AM. A Detective will be contacting us.”
You called the police this morning and NOBODY from your local jurisdiction has swung by yet?! That is odd.
And here we were worrying whether Fauxmaven should or shouldn’t take the students to church!
Hope you can get it cleared up asap and that the French girl has a enjoyable visit.
2 policeman came to do an initial report. French girl is very sweet. We had lunch at 5 Guys and went to a shoe warehouse( DSW)