Seeing Our Voices is a way for young people to have their voices heard.
By sharing your experiences, people in the community can see that being in foster care is a circumstance and not a definition of a person. We invite young people 16 and older to share their experiences in foster care through artistic expression. We will curate these and share your artistic creations on our website, Facebook, and Instagram.
The artistic creations of Seeing Our Voices youth have educated and inspired the public to collaborate with young people experiencing foster care. With your help, we will continue to raise awareness about the lives and experiences of children still in care.
We are truly inspired by creations that help us all to understand the foster care experience directly from youth. Our current collection includes photography, poetry, and other written works. The creative works of youth have been shown in multiple galleries and exhibited at the State House in Boston.
Share YOUR voice!
Submit your video, stories, poetry, photography and other artwork with us here.
Thank you to participants Ronni, Jose, Lexi, Brandon, Fumi, Stephen, and others for sharing your stories and your talent.
A Poem By Fumi
Age 16, 4 placements
I Love You Mom And Dad
I love you mom and dad just the same
As you love me. Thank you for showing me
What not to be.
All your broken promises haunt me in my sleep.
Every mothers’ and fathers’ day,
I sit silently and weep.
What once were my heroes, my own
Inspiration left me with heartbreak and
Parental limitations. You’re slipping away so soon
Become a figment of my imagination
I love you mom and dad just the same as
You love me. My one wish is to get
Things back to the way they used to be.
BMP
Age 18, 9 Placements
“Dad chose the wrong person over me. My mother doesn’t give a crap.”
BMP was in 9 placements by the time he was nine years old. The longest placement he was in was for 2 years. He has lived in 7 communities throughout the state and more schools than he can recall. He wants people to know that foster parents are people that care for you. He described is biological parents as uncaring and people that made choices not to protect him.
Ronni
Age 17, Six Placements
Pretty, ugly, talented, reliable, trustworthy, not
Nice, kind, mean, lovable, hateful, rude, careful,
Negative, positive, bright, cute, emo, preppy,
Conceited, weird, southern, white, oreo, wanna
Be, selfish, disrespectful, caring, loyal, obeying,
Happy, dangerous. She’s Ronni.
“I think.”
Secret
I been through a lot, and with all the negativity,
That’s been flowing with the wind through my life it
Seemed to me that no one seemed to care at all and
I’m very protective of myself and insecurities and
my secret.
I have a secret, which is me being in foster care, and
I told Jay. At first it was hard, but I was able to tell
Him why, how and when I came into foster care, and
He accepted it.
Share YOUR voice!
Submit your video, stories, poetry, photography and other artwork with us here.