I'm 13 and I've had a lot of social workers. If I could give them a piece of advice it would be to not make empty promises. I ask them to arrange contact, they promise they will and they don't. It makes me feel very anxious.
I'm studying English at college. It's important because I've lived here 12 months. I have good teachers and good friends who help me so I can learn and then get a job.
This picture makes me feel happy. In summer time peope paddle. I like the nature in the UK. I'm happy to be here.
I enjoy it here. It helps me to stop stressing. Sometime I come here with my family who I've iived with nearly one year since I moved here as a refugee from Eritrea. They've helped me with my English and homework. I really love my family.
There are ups and downs for foster children. I have extra challenges because I have ADHD. It's difficult to be nice, stay calm and make friends.
Sometimes I feel alone. There's a lot of bullying at school. I've joined a group to help stand up to the bullies. It's important to stand up for yourself no matter what.
This fish is called 'The Living Dead' because it died and came back to life. My brother died when he was a baby, but no matter what your family still loves you.
These are very special to me, because they were my brother's. Family. Has always been important to me but moving from foster home to foster home makes it hard to stay in touch. When I moved out of foster care and back with my parents, I was no longer in care and had no support from social services with sibling contact, making it hard for my brother and I to stay in touch.
Losing a sibling having just come out of care is the hardest thing I have ever experienced. If I didn't have support from the charity 'Voices from Care', I don't know where I'd be right now. I don't do well with grief.
Care-experienced young people often experience negative mental health issues and haven't always had the family help to learn how to cope with these. When we prepare to leave care, services need to remember that its not just the practical side of things we might need support with.
Because I lived with different foster carers, I didn't have much time with my brother. I will always miss him.
Social services need to try and keep siblings together and support us to keep contact when we transition out of care , otherwise we wont have that relationship once we have left.
Sometimes I feel like I have been left alone. When I left care, the support stopped, just like that. I hardly went out because I was new to this the area. I didn't have friends - it was pretty isolating.
Something so simple can get lost so easily. Not being able to travel makes me feel out of control.
When you're in care, you feel like people control your life and all you want is freedom. But then you leave care and you get all of that control back,. Your realise its not easy, that control comes with responsibility that perhaps you weren't prepared for
Friends can have a really positive impact when you're having a hard time but It's difficult to get to know people when you move around foster placements.
Now that I'm no longer in care and live independently, it can be really lonely. I feel I could be better supported to meet new people and form friendships so that I have that support network.
Somewhere I can go ,
Sit down, relax,
Switch off from adults and their questions.
Nobody ever looks forward to moving, why would you?
Care-experienced young people have the right to continue with education if they choose to, in order to get a good job.
I want to study veterinary nursing next year, I have wanted to do this since I was six years old.
Young people leaving care need more information on where to get support for continuing with further education and help with budgeting for this so they too can study independently.
I will be in care for another seven years and seeing my mum and brother is really important to me. Every weekend, I walk for one and a half hours to where they live so that I can spend time with them.
Just because you don't live with your family doesn't mean that it's not important to have regular contact with them.
We are all the same on the inside - care-experienced and non care experienced young people.
There is a misunderstanding that we need extra help in education but this isn't always the case.
Don't assume - ask us what support we need.
When I get my own home, I'd like to live in the countryside where it's peaceful and where you can hear the birds.
At the moment, I'm seventeen and I' not ready to live on my own - it seems pretty lonely. It's hard to say how I'll feel when I'm twenty-four and considered an 'adult'.
My friends don't even know I'm in care. I tell them another story. If they knew, they'd ask too many questions.
I would just like to be treated equally - they same as other young people.
At age 13 I feel like I'm at a crucial point for laying foundations for the future. It's important to focus on school as we've just chosen our GCSEs. It's important to have positive role models but so often people are using negative examples to motivate them. I'm glad I have people around to aspire to.
My foster mum is very supportive, listens to my opinions and voices it to the necessary people. I'm treated like a member of the family which allows me to forget that I have experience with care. It's important to be able to trust each other.
This is my room where I love to relax and chill. If you’re feeling stressed out it’s good to take a break alone to calm down.
This photo represents my favourite thing to do - I really enjoy it. My Carer bought me the console as a Christmas present, because she’s so lovely.