Reflections of a Professional Former Foster Youth

Authored by Dianna Walters-Hartley

This is my love letter to my system impacted brothers and sisters across the nation. My love for you runs deep. It is in our relationships I have experienced the most understanding, care and acceptance than in any other relationships I’ve had. I turned 18 years old in the year 2000 and transitioned into Maine’s voluntary extended foster care program until I was age 21 and became ineligible to receive support from Maine’s child welfare agency. I had gotten connected to a youth board when I was about 16 years old as a volunteer advocate, and I am still working in the field of foster care reform over a quarter of a century later.

This love letter comes with a warning, and I want to name up front that the rest of this piece is going to get honest about the cost of this work, because I care too much about you to leave that part out.