Justine

Justine (white Caucasian) lives in a small town called Agawam in the west of Massachusetts. She grew up a few miles away in Holyoak, a former industrial town where the mills have all closed down leaving a desolate landscape.

Justine is mature for her age with a bubbly personality, always laughing, joking and having fun. She was taken into care when she was 11 after her father died and her mother gave up her parental rights as a result of neglect and substance abuse (heroin addiction).

Justine lived in various 'bridge homes' before her best friend at school, Kate, persuaded her parents to take Justine in as a foster child. Beth and Bill Malone had never fostered before but were taken by the vivacious, fun-loving child. Justine moved in with them over Christmas of 2003.

Although Justine is very much a part of the family, the thought is never far away that this is not her permanent home. She agrees to be on 'Wednesday's Child', a weekly television spot hosted by the locally well-known news anchorman, Jack Williams. She has a good time filming the segment, which is transmitted on TV the next day. Many callers show an interest in Justine and ask for her details.

Beth, Bill and Kate don't really want Justine to leave them but they know that this is a good potential opportunity for Justine to be settled.

But then there is a shock. We find out that Justine has run away. The social workers are called, the police are called. Bill spends half the night looking for her but to no avail. The whole family is devastated – they gave her so much, they feel like she has betrayed them.

By the end of filming, Justine had not been found. She is still listed as a runaway.