At age 16, I was taken out of my mother's care, probably for the better. However, being 16, I was aware of the issues with the Department of Children and Families; and was terrified to be entered into the foster care system along with my three younger siblings.

When you hear foster care you most likely think of siblings torn apart, lives shattered, and children being bounced from house to house. That is only partially the reality though. Yes, though social workers try their hardest to keep siblings together, it doesn't always work out. It is not the social worker's fault. You see, foster homes are separated by ages and sometimes genders. For example, out of my siblings and I, there are two girls ages 16 and 15, but my other siblings are boys, ages 6 and 4. My sister and I were kept together but my brothers were separated, not only from us but from each other as well. Now, this may seem like a nightmare, and don't get me wrong, in the beginning, it was. But the department does anything and everything in their power to set up visits for siblings to see each other once a week. The myth of children being bounced from house to house is simply absurd. Personally, I have been in the system for over six months and have been moved once, and this move was from a program to a family member's home.

Another thing, when someone says a "program" what comes to mind? Maybe strict rules, miserable children and switching schools. My sister and I were lucky enough to have gone to the Plymouth Starr program. Now yes there are rules, but they are only to ensure the safety of all children in the program including maintaining the privacy of all. Also, in a rare circumstance, a child may have to switch their school but for the most part, you can attend your normal school. Obviously, it is not your home but the staff go above and beyond to make it feel welcoming. From going on rides in the car to going to the movies, the staff and residents are always bound to have a good time. Not to mention here you meet kids who are going through some of the same things you are. You start out as strangers but slowly you develop friendships with people who understand what you are going through, and I must say that is one of the most important things.

Lastly, typically when you hear stories about foster kids you hear all the negatives. You hear about the kids who dropped out of high school, got arrested, or even started using drugs. Research shows less than ten percent of foster children graduate high school withing the four-year standard. However, with support from social workers and school counselors, 65% of foster kids graduate high school within a five-year period. Except the fact that just because a child is in foster care, does not make them a statistic. When a child is first taken depending on their age they may start to slack off in school, especially at the high school age.

It may take some time but with support and determination, students can easily get back on track. In my personal experience, when I first left home I began to slack in school which prior to the removal I had excelled in. When my teachers and social worker noticed they called me out on it and helped me get back on track. I am proud to say I graduated high school in three years and have been accepted to college and will be attending in the fall. You see more often than not, children in the system work as hard as they can to not become a statistic or part of just another negative story about foster children.

Though being in foster care is not ideal and most definitely not the wish of any child, there is a lot of misinformation about foster care and the system. Not to mention the Department of Children and Families is thought to be this awful place where they only do the bare minimum to get paid. Now, this is just absurd, because social workers do not make nearly as much as they should. Especially because most workers go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure not only the safety of a child, but to ensure the overall happiness and well being of a child.