There wasn’t anything that could have prevented me from entering foster care, but there were dozens of services and people that definitely could have made life in foster care a lot easier for my family and I. Some of the major struggles I went through were a result of the foster care system failing my family and I.

Things that could have made my foster care experience better would be having social workers who actually did their jobs, truthful honest answers from social workers and the courts, a list of rights for the foster youth and parents, a list of expectations of what social workers are supposed to do etc. Those are just a small portion of things that could have prevented a lot of trauma in my foster care experience.

If my kinship relative had emotional support and their own social worker, that would have really helped our case, and maybe, I would still be in contact with them and my extended family. Support services should automatically be given and shouldn't have to be asked for.