"My whole life, I wanted to hear that I was a wanted and special child."

Regina Louise, Former Foster Child
10+ Years in Care, Over 30 Foster Home Placements

"So, this is how it is in foster care, you always have to move from foster home to foster home and you don't have any say in this and you are always having to adapt to new people and new kids and new schools. Sometimes you just feel like you're going crazy inside. And another thing, in foster care you grow up not knowing that you can really be somebody. When I was in foster care, it didn't seem like I had any choices or any future...This is a big deal and people don't realize. I wish everybody could understand."

Former Foster Youth
Pew Commission on Foster Care

"The priority of most of my life was making it to the soup kitchen line in time. I remember waiting in line, wondering, 'Why do we have to do this? What did we do wrong?'."

Angela, Former Foster Youth
Quoted, Age 11

"Leaving a parent, even one who can't take care of you is a traumatic experience."

Angela

"I don't think other kids that have normal lives understand what it's like being in foster care. It's not easy. This is why I don't tell everybody that I'm in foster care. Cause they make fun of you or they tell other kids and they start making fun of you."

Jesse, Age 19
In Foster Care for 3 Years

"I am a foster kid and I know what its like to get labeled and to feel different from everyone else. Most people don’t understand foster care and they think you did something wrong to get here."

Nikki, Age 13
In Foster Care Over 3 years

Please also read I Am A Child of Foster Care.