Real Stories

Patrick Gem Gabbett 20 years old He/Him/His & They/Them/Theirs 3 years in California's child welfare system. Patrick entered care at the age of 17 after escaping his abusive family, with the support of his online friends, school staff, and journalism teacher. He has opted into extended care until this fall when he will age out of the system. Patrick’s most...

Chrissy Carter 19 years old She/Her/Hers & They/Them/Theirs 5 years in Pennsylvania's child welfare system. Chrissy Carter entered care at the age of 13. They were asked to be removed from their home to ensure their safety as a queer black youth. After being removed, they were fortunate enough to find a home with two women who identify as lesbian...

"I feel like I have a voice, and I'm going to use that voice to push that change as far as I can." Tamara Milford, 2017 FosterClub All-Star, shares with Channel 4 News, watch the full interview here. Tamara was placed into care after the death of her mother in 2012, at the age of 14 in her hometown of...

Tristan knows the power of sharing your story. As a young trans man, he spent nine months in the foster care system and faced many adverse experiences because of his identity. As a FosterClub Young Leader and a strong advocate for LGBTQ youth, Tristan’s advocacy work was fundamental to the success of Nevada’s Assembly Bill 99, a measure signed into...

My childhood was filled with war and terror, from growing up in a war-torn country to fighting my own battle with accepting my identity as a Queer Black Muslim girl. I was born in Liberia during my country’s second civil war that displaced so many Liberian families. My family and I escaped the war and came to the US in...

I am Marcus Bell; I am 27 years young and I was raised in the system. I came into care at the age of six months along with my two brothers. I was placed into six different foster homes and separated from my siblings several times. Although, I remained in contact with my biological brothers and mother while being raised...