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"I was moved into care when I was 14-years-old. Everything happened really quickly. I was abit scared and confused of what was going on as I was picked up by someone from the social services and they drove me to someone's house (which turned out to be my foster carer's) very little was explained to me as of what was going on.

The first few days and maybe weeks were very challenging, getting to know my foster carers and getting used to the surroundings and settling in was not easy. Also having to cope with being moved and all the appalling things that had happened to me in the past was hard.

As time went past everything was starting to fall into place and I soon went back to school, which I enjoyed very much. I got to know my foster carers quite well and found out we all had a lot in common which made living with them easier and more fun. They were always very supportive of me in whatever it was i wanted to do. They would always encourage me with my schoolwork and taking part in other physical activities I enjoyed, just like any parent would.

After living with them for a couple of years we (me and my foster carers) soon started to realise that the foster carer-young person relationship was disappearing and we were forming a much stronger bond, like a parent and child relationship, that was just what I needed after losing everything I had.

I would like to say that for me, living in care was a very enjoyable experience and probably the best thing that has happened to me so far. Although i don't live with my foster parents anymore, as I have my own place now and they have moved away, I still see them as much as I can and they come and visit me too. We speak on the phone almost everyday; we always get together for special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas etc. I feel very much part of the family, they even call me their "daughter" and i refer to them as my parents. We will always be a family".
A. Aged 20yrs.