Stealing food

I think it is important for you to realize what you can live with and what you can't. We have fostered 20 teenage boys, All of them of course came with a lot of backgroung baggage. There where a few that I just could not deal with. One of the boys had a real problem with hoarding food. I would find ice cream hidden in his clothes hamper. This was not a pleasant find. Idaily I woulkd find cookies, candy, gum and crumbs in his bed. You name it he stashed food everywhere. He lifted food and candy from the stores, and stashed them. I allowed him food when he wanted it and also did the designated shelf of food. I even places a basket of food in his room at night. None of this worked. This drove me nuts, but I think more than the hoarding it was all the other behaviors combined he had combined with the hoarding , stealing and lying. I felt terrible for disrupting, but it was best for everyone involved. What I am trying to say is that we as foster parents can't be expected to be able to handle all situations. I know I had a couple of boys who I knew I just was not going to be able to handle from the start, but I held out hope and tried longer than I probably should have. It disrupted not only my life but also the lives of the other children in my home. What I am trying to say is trust your instincts on what you can handle and what you can't. Just because we are trained in these situations doesn't mean we can live in peace with them. Just wanting to spread a little support your way.