Foster Youth Need Better Access To The Benefits They’re Owed
Part of the reason I entered into the system was because my parents passed away. Being in the system after my parents died was tough, and I didn’t have the proper support. Living in a group home, I was surrounded by strangers and people who didn’t have my best interest at heart.
I was supposed to go live with my sister on my father’s side in Virginia, who was supposed to get full custody of me and take me out of the system. Unfortunately she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Once that happened, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to leave foster care. At one point I asked if adoption with a family was an option, but a caseworker told me because of my age — I was 15 — that nobody would want me. That’s when I really felt like all hope was lost and I was stuck.
I wish I’d had proper support from my family and didn’t have to depend so much on the system, but I had no choice. I was struggling with mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, anger and suicidal thoughts. I felt like the medication I was given for these problems wasn’t helping and I was being controlled by them, but I also felt like I had no choice but to take them while in group homes.