Oh mate, this is just appalling, I'm sooo sorry for you, your wife and your GD...10 is a good age but unfortunately an age where she has no rights because she will be considered as 'not of an age to understand' to be given her charter of rights etc...It sounds like the foster carer's are allowing her rights tho.

Please note every thing she says down, dates and times. Do not expect Dchs to give her back after 3 days, instead they will submit a Court assessment order into court but you have to be served papers first and be able to appear if you have custody, if not go to your local magistrates court where the children's court is and ask the registrar for when the next court sitting is for children's court and turn up. The Dchs officers will appear there to either apply for a CAO - Court Assessment order which goes for 4 weeks for further investigations and contact the parents or a interim child protection order granting either custody or guardianship.

In the meantime note everything your GD says. If you get to go to court and appear in front of the judge and especially if you have been served papers that you see is false then claim that the material submitted by Dchs is scandalous and oppressive and that you were not told that you were being seen as to a notification or told the results of any investigation or interview.

This is a must procedure for Dchs. Did you recieve an order or any paper when they removed your GD? Being that it happened last Thursday it seems as if Dchs have already applied for either assessment or custody. Go to your local court house and ask for the details under your GD's last name of the next court appearance and what papers were filed...