At least two families have come forward offering their homes to nine-year-old Bianca Odo who was taken back to the United States on Thursday following the death of her foster mother earlier this month.

Bianca, a pupil at Heron Bay Primary, had been living in Bermuda with her foster mother, June Hamilton Dill for about six years and had been placed in Mrs. Dill?s care nine years ago when Mrs. Dill lived in the United States.

However, Mrs. Dill died following a long battle against cancer on January 5 ? before she or Family Services had time to find the little girl a new home on the Island.

Since the article in yesterday?s newspaper, has been inundated with calls from the public offering their homes to Bianca, but also criticising the family?s actions.

In a , a North Shore resident who knows the family, but wished to remain anonymous, felt the adults in the situation had made ?very bad choices regarding Bianca?s welfare?.

?A child is not a puppy, to be passed around to this person and that person. A child is not a possession to be left to someone like you would leave them your favourite piece of jewellery,? the resident wrote.

The letter continued to ask why proper, concrete, legal provisions were not made for Bianca?s future before Mrs. Dill died and putting her illness aside, she was in her seventies.

?Surely the family didn?t think she would live forever??

The writer states that she knew Mrs. Dill and described her as a lovely person, as are her family, but it ?befuddled? her when people ran to the newspaper and asked for something to be done when it was already too late.

?I feel that there was really no other choice in this situation but to return Bianca to the US.?

This sentiment has been echoed by many, including the Acting Director of Family Services, Kennette Robinson, who yesterday explained that Bianca was, and always had been, a US citizen and that local services had no jurisdiction over her.

She said the family, including Mrs. Dill?s son, Bruce Simons, knew this and she was outraged by his actions.

?It?s not just a matter of finding another foster family for her, if anyone was interested in adopting Bianca, then we can put them in touch with International Social Services, but we couldn?t simply grant temporary guardianship of her to anyone,? she said.

She added that she?d been in discussions with Mrs. Dill for about 18 months prior to Mrs. Dill?s death and throughout that period, no one in Mrs. Dill?s family had shown any interest in adopting Bianca ? the only way the little girl could have remained in Bermuda.

Mr. Simons confirmed yesterday that his mother had tried to find a family to take Bianca as neither he, nor his sisters could take her in for various reasons.

He said Bianca (pictured) had been living with his sister Debra since their mother died and he was unaware of the situation until it was too late. ?My sister Debra?s husband is very ill and she couldn?t deal with having to raise Bianca,? he said.

He said as far as he knew his sister had been involved in talks with Family Services since his mother died, but had never told him that Bianca was being taken back to the States.

He added that he and his sister did not have ?the best relationship? which is why he only found out on Thursday morning that Bianca was leaving and tried to stop it, but by then it was too late as Bianca was already at the Airport about to board a flight.

Mrs. Robinson from Family Services said that Bianca was never deported, simply returned to the US as she had only been granted temporary status when she came to Bermuda with Mrs. Dill several years ago.

?When Mrs. Dill died that status ended and Bianca was simply sent home,? she said.