Contest Question If you were a foster parent, how would you welcome a new foster child into your home? How would you want the child to feel and how would you communicate that in words and actions? Be specific.

Get a copy of the print edition of this issue

Therapists and Social Workers: Activities to use with select stories from this issue

HEAR THIS! SMART WAYS YOU CAN ADVOCATE

I Need a Winter Coat!
I shouldn't have to beg for my basic needs

Keeping My Cool
Why a phone call is more powerful than a meltdown

Getting My Green Card
When my social worker delayed, I had to step up

Stealing My Good Name
I fought back against identity theft

Against the Grain
I found my calling in politics

They Made Me a Zombie
I needed to express myself, not take pills

Check All That Apply
I'm keeping my Taino heritage alive

Working Up to Advocacy
I want to help kids like me

Teen Space: A Room of Our Own
Family court just got a whole lot friendlier

FROM NORTHERN IRELAND

Having Their Say
Across the ocean, youth make waves in the system

HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF

Learn to Advocate
How to stand up for your rights in the system

Know Your Rights in Foster Care

Rules of the House?
What you can do when foster parents go too far

More Leash, Please
A psychologist tells teens how to get more freedom

IN THE NEWS

Stable Homes, Stable Lives
NYC teens stay in the foster care system for too long

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Independent Living Comic: Ready for the World?

Contest Question Imagine President Obama has chosen you to be his top adviser on foster care reform (improving the system). Write him a letter describing the three most important things that should be done to make foster care better, and why.

Get a copy of the print edition of this issue

Therapists and Social Workers: Activities to use with select stories from this issue

MAKING IT:
HOW ART TRANSFORMS US

Straight From the Art
Different sides of me come out when I create

The Life and Death of the Crippled Enigma
My writing persona stole my soul

La'Quesha Fierce
Beyonce and her alter ego inspire me

Where My Girls At?
Misogyny in hip-hops gotta go

Staying in Step
Dancing takes me further and higher

Passion for Fashion
I want my style to start a revolution

Saved by the Beats
Making music lifts me up

Vive La Vie Boheme
To my surprise, I love a Broadway musical

The Healing Arts
Art therapy helps people get unstuck

BOOK REVIEW

Hot Girl Talk Gets Hot
Three Represent writers break down a novel about friendship and foster care

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Independent Living Comic: Ready for the World?

READER SURVEY

Teen Reader Survey 2009:
Give us your opinion, win $100

Contest Question Tell us about a work of art—a poem, song, story, sculpture, painting, play, movie, dance, etc—that you’d like to create. Say why and how you’d make it. (You have all the money you need to create your masterpiece.)

Get a copy of the print edition of this issue

ON OUR MINDS:
THE MENTAL ILLNESS ISSUE

In the News
Improving mental health services for kids in care

HOW PAST ABUSE CREEPS UP ON YOU

I’m Not Crazy; I Have a Mental Illness
I spent three weeks in the hospital and learned to accept my diagnosis

Your Brain on Pain
You can heal from past trauma

Facing My Feelings
It may be time to confront my past

My Many Faces
Can a good therapist help me manage a serious personality disorder?

MEDICATION AND ITS EFFECTS

Incarceration By Medication
I want to free my troubled mind

Getting the Right Medication
You and your doctor should be partners in prescribing

Bound to the Earth
Weed helped me manage my bipolar disorder, but now I need to stop

TALKING THINGS OUT...AND OTHER WAYS TO COPE

Mentors and Mental Health
A supportive adult in your life goes a long way

A Healthy Mom
Becoming a parent helped me open up to therapy

Suicide/Redemption
Feeling alone drove me mad

Talking Things Out
How therapy can help

Stressed Out? Try This!

MENTAL ILLNESS IN THE FAMILY

My Brother and Me
Schizophrenia can't break our bond

Ruptured Lives
Growing up with a schizophrenic mother

INDEPENDENT LIVING

Transition Terrors
Better IL needed for people with mental illness

Independent Living Comic: Ready for the World?

Therapists and Social Workers: Lessons You Can Use With Teens

GROWING UP WITHOUT DADS:
HOW WE MOVE FORWARD

Father Lessons
A little fathering has to last a long time

Denied a Dad
I deserve to know my father

Betrayed by My Father
An abuser leaves deep scars

Not Repeating History
I’m scared when I act like my father

Real Men Are Real
How to find father figures outside of family

A Father-Shaped Hole
I wish my father could have been more like my husband

Giving Better Than You Got
A therapist talks about how to be a good father

A FATHER'S POINT OF VIEW

Stepping Into Fatherhood
Caring for my baby made me a better man

Manning Up
I age out the same month my baby is born. Gulp.

Dads Are Parents, Too
Child welfare agencies are finally beginning to include fathers

Missing the Firsts
Prison won’t keep me from showing my daughter I care

PLUS

Parents, Not Politics
Allow unmarried couples to become foster parents

Independent Living Comic: Ready for the World?

GETTING TO GRADUATION:
THE FOSTER CARE OBSTACLE COURSE

Too Many Schools
Moving every year makes it hard to graduate

Obstacles to Graduation: Problems and Solutions

Getting the Education You Deserve
Know the law and make it work for you

A School to Call Home
Haven Academy grows with its students in foster care

Special Education
It’s supposed to help, not hold you back

The Walking Flame
I’m still recovering from being bullied

Judged by My Cover: A COMIC

Labeled Troublesome
Battling with my teachers is becoming a big problem

The GED Merry-Go-Round
All diplomas are not created equal

Breaking Down the GED
How to get ready for the test

BOOK/MOVIE REVIEW

Behind the Scenes with Rosie O’Donnell
The making of the movie America

We Are All America
A teen in care comes to terms with his troubled past

LISTENING AND LEADING: HOW MENTORS HELP US

Taming the Wild Ones
My mentor taught me to act right

From Enemy to Ally
A fight with my staff led to real support

A Spirit of Kindness
Charlene is the first person I allowed to love me

SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS:
THE BOND THAT LASTS A LIFETIME

Torn Apart
We survived the street, but lost each other in foster care

In the News
Keeping Siblings Together

Voices Carry
A youth advocate goes to Washington

Shut Out
I want to reconnect with my sister, but she doesn’t

Not Like Jail
Family visits at an agency should feel more like home

Making Happy Memories
A camp reunites siblings separated by foster care

Cousin-Sisters
My family grew bigger—and closer—after taking in my little cousins

Out of the Crib
I became a mother to my brother at age 7; it was too much

MAKING HISTORY

Teens reflect on the election of President Barack Obama

STEPPING OUT:
JOURNEYS OUTSIDE OF OUR COMFORT ZONE

Las Vegas, Family Style
Casinos in the airport and roller coasters in the hotel

My Summers in Paradise
Five summers, three camps, and tons of new experiences

BEYOND THE PAIN: SEARCHING FOR REAL LOVE

Intro: Beyond the Pain
Searching for Real Love

Losing Myself in Love
My abusive boyfriend made me into someone I’m not

How to Know if a Relationship Is Good for You

Finding the Strength
After years of abuse, I’ve found someone to love

The Effects of Abuse

My Sister and Me
When it comes to relationships, we’re very different

Nothing Like the Real Thing
Do guys want all of me, or just my body?

I’m Not Ready
Before having a relationship, I want to be comfortable with myself

PROTECTING YOUR SEXUAL HEALTH

Intro: Protecting Your Sexual Health

Close Call
My friend’s pregnancy scare scared me

Top Secret?
What confidential medical care means when you’re in foster care

All About STDs

STDs at a Glance

Contraception 101
Protect Against Pregnancy and STDs

Condom Comebacks
What to say if your partner resists

How to Use a Male Condom
(as demonstrated on a banana)

How to Talk So Your Doctor Will Listen

Infatuation With Masturbation
Why is enjoying our bodies so shameful?

GETTING READY FOR COLLEGE

Left in the Dark
When it came to college, I waited too long before asking for help

Real Smart
Leaving college prep school helped me get ready for life

It’s Never Too Early
Four easy steps to putting together your pre-college plan

The Final Countdown to College
Staying on track during senior year

Financial Aid 101
The ABCs of E.T.V.’s, FAFSA’s and FSEOG’s

ONCE YOU'RE IN COLLEGE

Words of Wisdom from Alumni Writers
How to build a strategy for success

You’re Not in High School Anymore
Tips for surviving the first year of college

EXPRESSING OURSELVES

A Song in My Soul
I want to be a singer, but I’m terrified of the stage

More Than Just an Escape
Reading helps me understand myself

MAKING THE CALL: REPORTING ABUSE

Escaping My Father
It took years, but I finally got free

I’m Not Safe Here
Facing abuse in foster care

Turning Her In
I reported my sister to protect myself

FEELING LIKE FAMILY: WHY FRIENDSHIPS MATTER

Hard to Say Goodbye
I thought I’d never find another best friend

A Circle of Three
I’m trying to keep my friends together

PLUS

‘That Worldly Swagger'
Another Media Stereotype of Youth In Care

COMING INTO CARE: HOW WE FIND OUR WAY

Life Interrupted
Teens remember their first days in care

Getting Back My Heart
After my mother put me in care, it took a long time to reconnect

Hoping to Be Heard
Teens need to have a say in placement

Starting on Day One
How to advocate for yourself

Making The Decision
How investigations work

Keeping Families Together
Preventing foster care means building healthy neighborhoods

LOOKING GOOD, FEELING GOOD: APPEARANCE AND YOUR SELF-ESTEEM

Learning to Love My Hair
It took me years to get past getting teased

My Rocawear Addiction

ADOPTION: FINDING A NEW FAMILY

Brick by Brick
Before I got adopted, my mom and I had to build a relationship

Building a Family
How counseling can help you adjust

Saying No to Adoption

REUNIFICATION: MAKING IT BACK HOME

Leaving Her Behind
I love my mom, but I can’t live with her

INDEPENDENT LIVING: HOW TO FIND SUPPORT

Someone to Rely On
Figuring out who’s got my back

No Stone Unturned
Finding lifelong connections for teens

‘I Just Didn’t Have Anybody’
Foster Care Alumni of America's deputy director explains how she found her own supports

Getting What You Need
What your agency should be doing before you age out

PLUS

What Does Permanency Mean?

REDEFINING YOURSELF

Finding Your Passion
An interview with basketball star Alonzo Mourning

Writing My Own Script
I had to leave my family to find myself

A Man of Many Names
My alter egos help me handle my life

Life in a New World
In America, I became someone I didn't want to be

HOW WE HUSTLE

My Summer Hustle
I played the drug game, and lost

What's Your Hustle?
Stealing from cars

Making Paper
I sell my stories on the street

Going Legit
Trading in your hustle for the 9 to 5

Five Ways to Get Paid
A money-making manual

PLUS

Paying Foster Parents
How much is enough?

(Older Stories From Represent)

About our books
Stories from Foster Care Youth United have been anthologized in several books by Youth Communication. The Heart Knows Something Different (Persea Books, 1996) is a collection of personal essays first published in FCYU; in addition, The Struggle to Be Strong: True Stories By Teens About Resilience (Free Spirit, 2000), Things Get Hectic: Teens Write About the Violence That Surrounds Them (Simon & Schuster, 1998) and Out With It: Gay and Straight Teens Write About Homosexuality (Youth Communication, 1996) feature stories from Represent, as well as from New Youth Connections (NYC), our other teen-written magazine.