“You’re at risk for Compassion Fatigue.”… It supressed my full capacity to love and show empathy. Hope of restoring my vibrant inner being faded.

All anyone ever wants is to know they are loved and supported. You would be surprised how far one can go just by knowing they have someone in their corner. In my case, that “someone” would be my whole family.

Before his last offence, he was still asking us if we would take him back when he gets out of the centre. What do you say to your child, who you have always wanted and supported even when he became so unpredictable?

It’s taboo to say it, naming it makes us feel guilty, but this placement changed our lives for the better. It also saved my life.

Consider a dictionary definition of the word holiday: “a day of festivity or recreation when no work is done”. Wow. I am fairly certain that if I go with this definition, I have not had a holiday since 2001 (the last year that I was child free).

Putting up tinsel and garland, pulling out the Christmas scented soaps, plugging in colourful lights, hanging the word JOY over her bed. She LOVES Christmas. I… do not.

Every year, 800-1000 young people are graduated out of the Ontario system and foster families are no longer given support to keep them in their homes. Youth themselves are given very little assistance and the programs and services available, sadly, are just overwhelmed and not enough.