I have been looking after my niece since she was 4 days old.
To shorten this story.
Social services had contacted family members from both sides (parents extended families) and out of everyone, I was the only one that passed the assessment.
It went to court and it was decided that I would look after her as a Kinship carer. (Similar to foster carer)
Had I declined, she would have been put in to the fostering system with contact only being once a month with her parents.
My brother asked me to take her until they are deemed fit by social services.
They had six months in which to do this and three months have nearly gone by.
At first, I had faith in them, but my brother replased over the Christmas period and his partner is still smoking cannabis, so it isn't looking good for them.
I am prepared to have her if she cannot go back to her parents.
However, I had so much hope that I agreed to put my own life on hold and personal feelings aside and agreed to work with social services to give them contact with their daughter four days a week, two hours per day, which is more than most people would ever get!
This had been going well, until my niece turned 8 weeks.
At first she only accepted being held by myself, her parents, a few friends of mine, her older sister and the social worker (also in foster care, she is currently 15 years old.)
They had her at 15/16 years.
However, after the jabs, she will only accept being held by me.
Her father, my brother came with us to the doctor's appointment and comforted her during, whilst I (with a good friend spent two days comforting her whilst she cried and recovered.)
Now, whenever anyone else holds her, she usually bursts into tears and starts screaming.
This has been happening since the beginning of 9 weeks and she is now 12 weeks and it hasn't stopped.
My friends and the contact worker have commented on this and the parents seem unwilling to accept that she is crying because they are picking her up/talking to her etc.
Honestly it's ridiculous and I need help/advice, as I can't even leave her with friends to go to the shops without her bursting into tears.
I thought that this might be separation anxiety as I am her primary carer/aunt and I am with her 24/7, but isn't she too young for that?
I wondered if anyone else had experienced this with their little one at this age and if there is any advice.
I've had the health visitor (who I'm sure doesn't quite believe me, due to her age) say it's a phase, but even the contact worker who supervises all visits between parents and my niece has commented on it.
They shower her with love and affection.
My brother always reads to her, sings nursery rhymes and plays with her, but it's like a switch has been flipped.
She is even refusing bottles from everyone but me!!
So, if anyone has any advice or experience something similar, please tell me.
I'd really appreciate it.