Sujitha's story

People might think being in care is tough for teenagers like us, but it’s not as bad as it seems.

The media and the statistics may tell you that we are unlikely to pass GCSEs, or AS levels or go on to university, but they don’t acknowledge the children who aren’t in care who also struggle.

We are the same as them, we are just teenagers. Like them, we have our own problems, our own successes and our own failures. Just because we are in care doesn’t mean that we should merely be looked at as statistics.

I am 17 years old, I’ve been in care for two years now. I know it’s not as long as some people, but I had my share of horrifying and tormenting things in my life that meant I desperately wanted to be looked after. I was able to finally get this help thanks to my school and my friends.

People often say that being in care ruins your life chances but being in care increased my chances in life. It has helped me turn my life around. I think I’m lucky because I only had one set of foster carers, so I didn’t have to move around as much as some other teenagers.

Even so, when I was first taken into care I felt scared. I was afraid of people, I was always at the back of the room, I lacked confidence, I felt lonely and alone in the world. I was frightened and felt as if everybody was against me but with the help of my social worker and foster carers I was able to change all the negatives into positives. I accepted all the help that was offered to me.

Now I have passed all my GCSEs and have just finished AS level. I’m now chill-axing and waiting for my results to come out. I’m getting on with my part time job and just enjoying some well-earned free time. Now, I have the strength to do something I thought I would never be able to do; stand up to my mum and say NO.

I don’t think I would’ve been able to do this without the help of my social worker, counsellors and foster carers. Without these people, I certainly wouldn’t be able to write this story and try to give other people in care the confidence that I have found.

One thing that I have learnt in my time in care is that you’ve got to accept all the help that’s available and use it in a way that is beneficial to you. Have a strong mentality – no matter what is thrown your way, you can fight back and succeed! Being in care shouldn’t stop you from getting the success you deserve. Education is one of the most important things in life. It is education that is going to get us where we want to be our life and our future. Let’s prove those statistics wrong!