Since Christmas is coming up, TikToker @cynthaur wanted to share what her Christmas experiences as a teen in foster care were like.
When she was 15 years old, she was separated from her sister and placed into foster care. She had no other family and was a ward of the state, eligible for adoption.
She spent a total of three Christmases in foster care. The first year, she was forced to attend a Salvation Army event with five other teens in the local area.
When they walked in, the front of the room was filled with presents. A lot of people were there, but the number of presents far outnumbered the people. They sat at a table and ate the food that was provided, wondering what presents they would receive.
“I was literally 15, and this is my first Christmas literally being essentially an orphan, and I don’t care if anybody thinks teens should have to sacrifice for little kids,” she said.
“While I do think Christmas is important for little kids, it is also extremely important for teens, and I don’t think my experience should be attacked for this.”
So, presents were handed out to the little kids. They each received between five and eight gifts. She and the rest of the teens sat and waited patiently for their turn.
A bunch of staff members were walking around, and she finally stopped one to ask if the teens were receiving anything. The lady told her that they didn’t get enough donations to cover gifts for the teens.
Once she heard that, she cried because she had already been through a traumatic year. The other teens were also really upset. That was how her first Christmas in foster care went.
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Her second Christmas as a 16-year-old was much better. That year, she was living with a lovely foster family who bought gifts for her. Even their oldest daughter, who no longer lived with them, got her brand-new clothes.
The worst Christmas was when she was 17 and staying in a co-ed youth shelter. The day after Thanksgiving, three girls decided to attack her while she was sitting on the floor having a conversation with another kid and a staff member.
The attack was caught on camera, but the shelter had a policy that any children who got into fights would be sent to juvenile detention.
“I was beaten and bruised and literally had to go to the ER first,” she said. “And then, when I was released, I was being told I was being arrested for basically being beaten up. And because of it being the holiday season, I spent my last Christmas as a child in juvie.”
She was released a few days after Christmas but before New Year’s Day. She was not charged with anything because she hadn’t done anything wrong.
Now, she is urging others to show a little extra kindness toward foster kids this Christmas. For foster kids, the holidays are often one of the worst times of the year because they don’t really have anyone to celebrate with. They deserve to receive gifts, too!
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
