By Vanessa Davis, The San Diego Union-Tribune, June 25, 2021
There’s such a powerful interconnected relationship between two of my life challenges that I question which emerged first in my life: the foster care system or mental health challenges. These two things haven’t played out separately for me. Instead, they are interwoven and further compounded by the everyday reality and stressors of life.
To spread healing within our communities, I believe it’s important for people to go beyond what they think they know about foster care and mental health, and be open to truly connecting with the experiences of those who have been directly impacted by both.
My childhood was painful and traumatic. My mother struggled with mental health issues and drug addiction, and she didn’t seem to value herself much, let alone me. I was placed in foster care at the age of 3 and, although I was removed from a neglectful and harmful environment, I was placed into a system that also seemed neglectful and harmful to an innocent, scared child who needed comfort and love.
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