New mural aims to bust myths about teens in care
A MURAL has been unveiled in Bridgend to challenge perceptions of teens in care.
Foster Wales teamed up with former Wales Children’s Laureate Connor Allen and artist Bryce Davies to create a poem and mural with a group of children aged 11-16 sharing their life experiences.
The group hope their poem, which forms the mural on Brackla Street in Bridgend, will encourage people to think about fostering an older child.
There are nearly 5,000 children in foster care across Wales and 53% of those are aged 11 and over. Many of them have faced hardship and adversity.
Molly, who is 14 and in foster care in Bridgend, said: “As young people in care, we get judged before people even get to know us, people think we’re just troublemakers who do drugs and get pregnant underage. It’s just not true.
“We’re just normal people like everyone else, apart from our story is a little bit different. Everyone is human, and we make mistakes, some of ours are down to the traumatic experiences we’ve been through.”
Molly, who co-wrote the poem, shared her experience of being a looked-after person: “Having a foster carer who sees through false perceptions and recognises my past but still continues support and encourage me to make positive steps forward is helpful for my wellbeing.”
For Connor, who had a challenging adolescence, the impact of negative perceptions as a teenager rings true and he hopes the project will encourage the young people to use the arts to tell their unique stories.
He said: “Everyone has a story, and everyone has a voice and I’m blessed to be working on such an important project with Foster Wales that allows crucial voices to be heard and seen. I hope they’re proud of their poem which reflects their true experiences.”
Alastair Cope, head of Foster Wales, said: “In many ways, teenagers in care are easier than fostering younger children. They have more understanding of what’s going on in their lives, and able to do things on their own.
“They need involvement in decision making and a place where their voices can be heard, support, a mentor, someone to stand by them, advocate for them and champion them.
“The young people are on a trajectory to adulthood, so foster carers enjoy being involved in the rewarding stuff such as getting them through their exams or supporting them into university, a job, and maybe even a family of their own one day.
“All local authorities, as Foster Wales, want to create a positive lasting change where teenagers in care are seen positively, have a voice, and are championed and supported by foster families to achieve their true potential.”