She is only 12 and I am going to guess the hair she has is A LOT of work for HER and if I were you I would start taking on the role of making sure its taken care of properly.
One thing to use is infusium, a leave in conditioner for damp hair. It works wonders. After she showers and washes her hair toss some in, comb it out and maybe just braid it back until the morning when she can re-wet and style it.
Good luck on it growing back out!
