Leaving care: Ten years on - BBC Newsnight

Newsnight catch up with two young men - almost a decade after they left the care system.
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Ten years ago, reporter Liz MacKean and Newsnight filmmaker Stuart Denman began a series of pieces following four teenagers in care as they approached their 18th birthdays, the age at which they would officially leave the care system.
Stuart met up with two of the former teenagers - now in their late twenties - to speak to them about how their lives had changed in the years since.
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[@DJB2]

Having been through (permanent) temporary foster homes from the age of 4, I’m not surprised to hear how hard the first guy has found it. Getting a job is hard, keeping it is hard, making friends is hard, keeping them is hard, having no family or support system is hard... the thought of having a family of my own fills me with dread. All the fellow ex-foster kids I grew up with are either dead, in jail, addicted to drugs, or clinically depressed.
When we turn 18, we’re just forgotten about.
The hardest thing is that I have to tell some people so that they can try to understand why I behave the way I do sometimes. Two things happen in these situations: I relive the whole experience again, and the other persons opinion of me becomes tainted with pity. I’m 38 now. All I want to do is move on and not have people judge me for something someone else did to me as a toddler.
We can never escape the stigma until the system is fixed. Normal 18 year olds aren’t kicked out of their family homes to try and make a life without a basic understanding of how to go about it, or a safety net for when shit goes south, so why does this happen to ALL foster kids. It reaffirms a belief that no-one wants us...
I’m going to stop now. I could type on this subject for hours.

[@willjdeanie]

David Bodle ..... I've never thought about it before, what happens to kids in care when they reach 18 I mean. .... That's so hard. I was.a child still at 18. .... one thing has become clear in light of recent scandals etc. We are failing our children that are in the care of the council.
I hope you have some luck and things go your way mate. Good luck.

[@pinklady7184]

That is sad. I am sorry that happened to you. The foster homes collected money while they have you in care. When you turn 18, you were no longer a source of income for foster home owners. I wish you and others could sue CPS and abusive foster homes.

[@Mystic_hazza]

Awhh 🥺 I am so sorry you have to go through that❤️

[@andrewamidala]

I completely understand I was in care and children's home. You look after yourself, you are worth it

[@andrewamidala]

People who do not go through care have no idea. Anyone who has survived into their 50s from experiencing this I salute you. It is awful, I was on the street, no guidance, no home. I had to fight tooth and nail for anything. In care I was emotionally and physically abused. Made to feel worthless and grateful for basics such as food. It was outrageous and only 1 decent social worker out of many!!!!

[@nadiamcinnis6461]

This is heart breaking

[@farahdinaraden7625]

I hope they hv a good life🙏🙏🙏

[@Listenerandlearner870]

Great to have positive stories as well.