How Leticia Quince found her voice in care: 'I was lucky … that doesn't happen for everyone'

Leticia Quince arrived at her foster home unable to communicate except by notes. She now helps young Indigenous foster care leavers
• A numbers game: Indigenous children in care and the threat of another stolen generation

When Leticia Quince was taken into foster care at the age of 12, she was so traumatised by her prior experiences that she would only talk with her carer by sending notes under the bedroom door.

“I was so shut down and so scared to express my emotions that I wouldn’t even talk to my carer, so I would write things on paper. I’d actually write letters to let her know how I was, and I would pop them under the door, and she’d write back to me, and then that’s how I would communicate,” Leticia said.

Related: Fighting to be heard in the child protection system: 'I felt like I was alone all the time'

“I have no regrets in the placement I was put into ... I was very loved ... But I am aware that doesn’t happen for everyone

“I have a passion for working with out-of-home-care young people, because I know how messed up the system can be

Related: 'It stops with me': Isaiah Dawe's mentoring plan for the foster kids of the future

We need more support for transitioning young people into independent living, and linking to their cultural connections

Related: A cycle of family breakdown: 'I asked for help … I was judged and my kids were taken'

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2IIZJMV