My foster family of 11 years is kicking me out. I have nowhere to go and I feel broken.

My Foster Family Kicks Me Out

My foster family of 11 years is kicking me out with no notice. I have nowhere to go, and I feel broken, plus all eight updates.

When I was seven, I was removed from my bio family and put into the care of a couple I will call the Peters.

Over the years, I began fully considering them my parents. But when I was 12, they put their foot down and told me they’d never legally adopt me.

This was because they lived off the fostering allowance, and this was given to them due to taking care of me. They always said legality didn’t make us family, and I naively believed them.

Well, I found out today that they were getting paid at least $2,800 for me per month. Because I just turned 18, they stopped getting the allowance.

Well, they sat me down today and told me I had to leave. They told me that to them fostering is just a business, and it didn’t make financial sense to keep me if they weren’t making money off me.

They said they would be nice, however, and give me four days to pack and get everything in order. How generous.

They even said they need my room because they need a new foster placement so they can keep running their business. They said they would still want to keep in touch and hope I understand. It’s nothing personal.

Update one: It’s been a few days, and honestly, I was in a state of shock yesterday; maybe still am today. I wasn’t thinking straight; I only slept two hours last night, that’s all.

So I’m probably a little delirious today as well. Firstly, I have contacted my Personal Adviser (PA).

He’ll be having an emergency meeting with me at half 1, so I’ll have more details about what’s going to happen to me then. He’ll hopefully be able to sort out emergency accommodation for me.

Secondly, I thought about whether the Peters can legally just give me four days’ notice to leave. This is something I will definitely be mentioning to my PA and get his advice on it.

I don’t want to stay here any longer than I need to because since they told me the news, it’s like I don’t exist. They just look right through me.

They don’t talk to me, offer me food, or give me anything. I’ve tried striking up a conversation once, just to see, but got literally ghosted.

However, I’m not going to move out until I have safe accommodation for me; I will outright refuse. I am not going to be made homeless.

Thirdly, I thought about contacting my uni. I have an offer from them, but it’s only conditional if I get my predicted A levels; hopefully, I will.

Since I’m not technically a student yet, I don’t know if they will actually provide any support yet. Finally, I am also going to ensure that the staying put allowance stops.

I will tell my PA today that it should surely be stopped if I’m not living with them. Luckily, I have some money saved.

Some people here have said I should be entitled to a bursary when I start uni, and I’ll have my maintenance student loan to help me. I’ve already started looking for a job.

Update two: Basically, I had a big, long meeting with my PA, and he was very sympathetic and felt upset that the Peters are treating me this way.

We had one meeting, and then I went to get food while he spoke to the Peters directly. Then I came back to meet him again to let me know everything that has happened.

He’s putting me on the list for social housing. I am hopeful that it will not be long until I am able to get my own house.

I recorded the meeting because I’m so sleep deprived, and also I have really bad memory processing for long things like that because of my dyslexia, uh, autism.

I can listen to it again tomorrow after I’ve slept. But from what I gather, they will help me with paying for rent costs.

I will also get some money to help pay for furniture and things like that. When he spoke to the Peters, I don’t know if he said they had to keep me housed for a while or ask them to, I’m not sure.

But they’ve agreed to keep housing me until the end of August, which is over a full month. So at least I don’t have to worry about everything happening in three days.

He did tell me that if I feel uncomfortable, I can be moved into a youth hostel place while they wait for a property to be available for me.

But I said, if I can, I would rather stay with the Peters until I am ready to move, even if it makes me feel a little uncomfortable.

On a completely separate note, my best friend and I had a huge argument earlier. He said that I’m being ungrateful to the Peters.

He said I should understand that not everyone wants a child that’s not theirs. According to him, they may have been doing it for the money, but they still housed and fed me until I was 18.

Honestly, that really hurt me. We had a huge argument; I just thought out of everyone he would get me and understand what I was going through.

Maybe not. Maybe I’m being unreasonable. I am really tired, so maybe my emotions are just not being controlled well at the moment.

I am going to talk to him tomorrow after I’ve slept, and I’m hoping this argument will just blow over because I need him at the moment. I don’t feel like I have anyone else.