I am writing about my personal experience in foster care. I was placed in foster
care when I was 11 years old, due to family problems. Firstly, I didn’t like the
way I was taken from my mother by a social worker and two police officers, which
left my mother scarred for life. I can still remember her screams to this
present day.
I was placed in a foster home with three other children in the care system. I
was never once taken on a holiday or even taken out for the day.
My mother was refused access to see me for two years, which is totally wrong. I
can remember when I finally saw my mum. I didn’t know what to say to her. I
remember my foster parents telling me that if my mother asked I should tell her
that I was OK in foster care so I didn’t upset her.
So I told her lies that I was OK. I
was not OK – far from it. I needed my mum.
After I saw my mum for the first time I wanted to see her again, so I ran away
from my foster home and walked roughly 8 miles home at 10.00pm at night. I was
taken back to my foster home and put on a high risk because I had ran away. I
ended up missing 1½ years of school and because I was messed up in my head when
I moved home I missed a further 3 years of school. I received no help from
social services.
I am still all over the place to this present day after my experience in foster
care. I suffer from depression. I also suffer when I am left alone in my home
and I have sleepless nights. I have tried to kill myself four times. I have
anger management problems and am currently on electronic tagging from the court
system with my anger problems. I believe strongly that this is caused by my
experience in foster care.
I also have a younger brother who was never taken into foster care. He lived at
the same address when all this took place. I have never understood why if it was
so important for me to be placed in care why not my brother as well?
Bradford
Family’s fury with
Social Services
Merthyr Express Dec 6 2007
