âI Just Want to See Better Happenâ
Young people who grew up in foster care become powerful voices for those still in the system
Kamaria Wilburn will never forget hearing her foster parents talk about their motivations.
âIâd listen to them literally sit down in front of us and talk about, âThis is for the money. We donât like them, but we need them here.â That does something bad to an 11-year-old child,â she says. âI really wanted a family. ⦠It kind of took [away] a piece of me.â
Growing up in foster care, Wilburn developed strong opinions about what was wrong with the system. Foster parents should have to account for how they spend the stipends they receive from the state, she says. And every foster child should have an advocate â not just a social worker, but someone who will listen to their concerns and defend them.