Real Stories

I like to tell myself, that not everyone gets their traditional story. My parents weren’t fit to be parents or even to be part of the public eye at that point. When I was in 5th and 6th grade, I just had my first boyfriend and saw what his family was like. I sort of understood what was missing in...

Veda's Story At a very young age, about six months old, I was removed from my parents care and placed in the foster care system. It took months for my caseworker to get in contact with my maternal grandmother. By the age of two, my grandmother was able to gain full custody of me. I was in kinship care until...

Isaiah's Story I am the oldest of five and grew up with a single mother. Because of this, I took on many responsibilities to help my mother support my siblings. Some would have said I played a parent role by ensuring my siblings did their chores and homework, as well as making them food. I entered foster care due to...

Mark's Story They say your childhood is supposed to be the most joyful time of your life. My childhood was dark, full of pain, and traumatizing. Growing up, my mother suffered from a mental illness. My stepfather was physically and emotionally abusive. I used to watch him hit my mother and after he was done with her, he would turn...

Tristan's Story Advocating for myself was the most difficult part of being in the foster care system, but it’s also a vital skill to learn. Before entering the system, I had suffered plenty of abuse for being a trans man who dared to come out of the closet. My teachers rejected me, my peers kept their distance, and my home...

It’s no secret that growing up in foster care can be challenging. In my case, those challenges were intensified by the fact that I’m a bi-racial lesbian. Finding a place where I felt I belonged was difficult. I often imagined whenever I was brought into a new home that I was just an unwanted accessory to my white sister. I...