The quiet room on the second floor had two small glass windows looking out over the garden in the back courtyard.

Caseworker Sarah Vance was sitting at a child-sized wooden craft table across from eight-year-old Emily Miller.

Emily was twirling the frayed left ear of her gray stuffed rabbit between her thumb and forefinger.

Next to her elbow lay her pink spiral notebook, shut and tidy on the pine tabletop.

Sarah looked up and gave a soft smile as Claire appeared in the doorway.

“The family court judge signed off on the placement order an hour ago,” Sarah said.