LOSING OUR ILLUSIONS:
TEENS FIGHT ADDICTION

Hooked
I loved being high on heroin, but I couldn’t control it

A Fine Line
When does experimentation become addiction?

What Drugs Do to You
(Even the legal ones)

My Battle to Quit
Rehab helped me give up weed...for a while

Taking It With You
A drug treatment program that follows you home

BEATING THE HOLIDAY BLUES

The First Good Christmas
I finally found a home for the holidays

TURNING IT AROUND: MAKING CHANGES IN OUR LIVES

Graduation Day
To get that diploma, I had to lose the attitude

Finding My Way Home
Getting help for my eating disorder has been a long journey

Starting To Feel Again
Where eating disorders come from, and how to recover

WHEN A PARENT IS ADDICTED

I Think These Drugs Are Daddy's
My father's an addict, but I won't give up on him

Something You Can’t Fix
What you should know if your parent has a substance abuse problem

House of Cards
My mom's addiction makes for a very shaky relationship

Making It On My Own
I lost my mom to drugs

Does Rehab Work?
Explaining drug treatment

The Parent's Side
Love Isn't Written in a Court Order

HOW WE COPE

My Street Brothers
Running wild with my friends helped me forget my pain

Something to Say
My inner child needs to be heard

My Happy Place
I found a new perspective at church

Playing for a Dream
Basketball keeps me feeling good

Letting It Out
Poetry keeps me calm

BATTERED AND BLUE: LIVING WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Tearing Our Family Apart
My mom's abusive boyfriend put us all through hell.

'It's Not Your Fault'
Dealing with violence at home.

Putting Up With Her Hands
How do I handle my girlfriend's violence?

Blinded By Love?
I'm caught in an abusive relationship.

SAFE SPACE: FINDING THERAPY THAT WORKS FOR YOU

Opening Up
I found a therapist I can trust.

Why Go to Therapy?
A professional answers our questions .

Getting Out of the Swamp
My therapist helps me through.

ON THE CASE: TRACKING DOWN YOUR PAST

My Last Name Mystery
Suddenly, my dad is a question mark.

Right to Your Records
How to find out what’s in your case file.

Alone With My Questions
When my parents died, they left me without answers.

LEARNING TO LOVE

Loving and Losing
My first girlfriend made my life a little brighter.

Playing To Win
I thought if I didn’t commit to one girl, I wouldn’t get hurt.

LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS

Drifting Away
I’m worried I’m losing myself to mental illness.

Too Many Pills
What you should know about mood-altering medication.

The Monster Inside
I don’t want my illness to control me.

PLUS

In the News: Will Rhode Island Do the Right Thing?

READY OR NOT: GETTING A GRIP ON MOTHERHOOD

Ready or Not: Getting a grip on motherhood

Finding My Mother Instinct
I didn't know how to deal with becoming a mom.

Hope in a Crisis
A nursery gives parents a helping hand.

A Partner for Parents
Visiting nurses team up with first-time moms.

A Mother's Touch
Massage can help you bond with your baby.

Keeping My Head Up
When I got pregnant no one had my back.

Mommy's Baby, Daddy's "Maybe"
I realized my baby's father may never step up.

STANDING OUT: WHEN RACE SETS YOU APART

Standing Out: When race sets you apart

Getting Ghetto
I had to change to fit it.

Never Quite at Home
I don't feel comfortable in my neighborhood.

Offense Taken
My friends need to realize that racial comments can hurt.

BALANCING ACT: LIFE AFTER CARE

Man With a Plan
How I got on my grind and started thinking about the future.

What You Should Know Before You Leave the System.

Five Steps Behind
My group home didn't teach me how to live on my own.

One Stop to Independence
Transition centers lend a hand to youth leaving care.

Getting Somewhere
Two California youth describe the challenges of leaving care.

Passport To Your Future
A Jim Casey program helps teens save up for success.

Getting Served
New York teens can get help at the Office of Youth Development

What It Takes
A new guide to life after care.

AFTERSHOCKS: HOW SEXUAL ABUSE STAYS IN OUR LIVES

Making It Through
After years of sexual abuse, I'm finally safe.

Breaking the Cycle
Why sexual abuse won't just go away.

Fighting My Old Ways
A diary of one writer's struggle to protect herself.

Trying to Understand
Why some teens become sex offenders and how they can stop.

FIXING FAMILY COURT

Speaking Up
Youth around the country demand changes in court.
Plus sidebar:Interview with Youth Justice Board

What Does My Lawyer Do?

Working Behind the Scenes
I found out what social workers do all day.

Laying Down the Law
How California youth are changing the system.

'We're Actually Listening'
In Chicago, a judge sits at the table with teens.

SO MANY LOSSES: DEALING WITH GRIEF IN CARE

Letting Go
I can't hide anymore from the grief inside me.

Understanding Grief
How teens in care handle their sadness.

DEAR MOM...

Keeping My Distance
I try to help my mom without hurting myself.

A Safe Place to Connect
How therapy can help your family heal.

Saying Goodbye to My Superman
Even my dad wasn't strong enough to beat AIDS.

Double Whammy
How AIDS affected the foster care system.

FITTING TOGETHER

Learning to Love Again
I've finally found a foster mom I can trust.

Great Expectations
I pictured my new life as a double chocolate Oreo with a glass of milk.

Lost in the Desert
I fled poverty in Mexico—now I fear I'll be sent back.

Paper Chase
NYC's Immigration Project makes getting your green card easier.

FOREVER FAMILY

Separated at Birth
I wish all my siblings could be with me.

'We Heard You'
Foster youth convince Connecticut to improve visits.

Cut Off
Once my sisters got adopted, I couldn't see them anymore.

The Monster Inside
When I go off, I'm afraid of myself.

STRAIGHT SLUMMIN' IT

Goodbye, Harlem
I might have been a hustler if I wasn't shown another way.

Following the Leader
It's hard to see beyond what's around you.

No Easy Answers

FILLING THE GAP

Filling the Gap: Grandparents step in

An Angel From Above
My grandma put her life on hold to raise us.

Movin' On Up
An apartment program designed for grandparents and kids

Stranger in the Mirror:
Living with Mental Illness

Making Sense of My Sister
A therapist helped me understand what's happened to my twin.

OPEN HOUSE

Finding My Father
My dream dad turned out to be gay.

What We Think
Teens in care talk about gay foster parents.

Facing the Truth
When my daughter told me she was sexually abused, I listened.

Start Talking
Your teen years are the ideal time to deal with abuse.

IS THERE A HOME FOR MIGUEL?

I Can't Forgive
When I went to prison no one had my back.

Get Out and Stay Out
Keeping teens from getting locked up again.

How to Get Prom Clothes, Lessons and Other Stuff for Free

No Place to Go

HOW DO WE LOOK?

Use Your Radar
When the past pops up, pay attention.

Nothing But a Crush
I'm too smart to try reforming a gangsta.

We Have Seen the Future and It Is Us
The scary and inspiring stories of three teens.

On Their Own
It takes luck and determination to make it after care.

MOVIE REVIEW

Nobody Wants to Know
Watching Nobody Knows, I remembered my family.

YOU CAN DO IT!

Me vs. The World
What helped me get through college? Rapping, and two mentors who believed in me.

Bookin' It
Perseverance will help me conquer the SAT.

Financial Aid 101
The ABCs of E.T.V.s, FAFSAs and FSEOGs.

Numbing Out
Pills helped me forget the past, but ruined the present.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU WEAR

Black on Black
Going goth helped me be less judgmental.

Will the Tortoise Win the Race?
I'm 20 and still in high school.

Weaving Our Own Safety Net
My fiancé and I found the advice and support we needed.

The Dad Stays in the Picture
Some POPS are hanging in.

EAT WHAT?

My 'Hood is Bad for My Health

Dangerously in Love With a Danish

Want a Friend? Be a Friend!

Starting Over
Do my mom and I need to talk about the past to move forward?

HOME SWEET HOME?
Operation Vacate Group Home
NYC says teens belong in foster homes but hasn't
found one for me.

Meeting of the Minds
Four Represent writers school the system (and learn something, too).

Am I Too Angry to Love?
My foster mom kicked me out after three weeks.

Haunted House
After grandma died, I had to make it alone.

'NO HE DIDN'T'
I Don't Want to Hide
Struggling with the pressure to be straight

Kicking the Closet Door Off Its Hinges

Gay Youth Speak Up to Improve Life in the System

Safe Homes
Gay teens in Minnesota get to choose their foster families.

YOU'RE HIRED!
Getting My First Job Was a Pain in the Butt

How to Ace Your Interview

Quiet on the Job
I can't figure out how to act at work.

ANGER

Bum-Rushed by the Past
Not dealing with my anger and anxiety is no longer an option.

Anger That Won't Let Go
Understanding the connection between emotions and abuse.

WELCOME TO THE
STRANGE WORLD OF ADOPTION
There are more and more teens in foster care, and increasing pressure to get them adopted. Here are three of the seven stories from the current issue of Represent on adoption. To read all the stories subscribe to Represent..

Introduction: Welcome to the
Strange World of Adoption

My Guardian Angel
Should I let her adopt me?

Could I Be Another Mother's Daughter?

Clean Slate
Even a perfect adoption couldn't erase my past.

'CRACK BABIES' ALL GROWN UP
Looking Back on the Crack Epidemic
'Crack babies' all grown up

They Called Me a 'Crack Baby'

The Myth of the 'Crack Baby'
Doctors and the media were wrong in thinking we'd never succeed.

Watching My Parents Disappear
Crack hurt them, but it hurt me too.

Pieces Missing
I got over my crack addiction but my family hasn’t recovered.

LIVING WITH GHOSTS
When a Family Member is Mentally Ill
(Introduction)

Voices In Her Head
My mother's mental illness haunts us both.

Like Mother, Like Daughter?
Accepting my mother's illness helped me get well.

Losing Hope
My aunt was going to adopt me, then she got sick.

DO MENTORS MATTER?

Disappearing Act
My mentor stopped calling me.

MYSTERIES AND MISERIES

Not Ready
She was pregnant. I freaked.

NO MORE STRESS
A Place to Rest My Head
A psychiatric hospital helped me understand myself.

THE DIFFERENCE STAFF CAN MAKE
What Kind of Training Do Staff Get?

Opportunity Knocks
I had nothing going on. Staff stepped in.

INDEPENDENT LIVING
A Clean Sweep
My apartment went from nasty to neat.

WHERE DO I FIT?
Foster Home or Group Home? Ask Us.

Should Group Home Teens Be Moved to Foster Homes?
Some experts think so.

MIRROR, MIRROR
Addicted to Food
You can't just quit eating.
My Body Betrayed Me
Years of abuse left me disconnected from my body.

THE DRIVE TO SUCCEED
Scraping By
Working 'til I dropped paid off.

PINS (STATUS OFFENDERS)
Smoke and Mirrors
The system saw my drug habit but not my mom's abuse.
Heart to Heart
Telling my mom how I felt changed our relationship.
Talking It Out
Using mediation to help familes.

WHEN LOVE HURTS
Breaking Free
He broke me down. I broke out.
Vicious Cycles
Bullying in group homes is no joke.
Hurting the Girl I Love

YOUR FIRST HOME AFTER CARE
On Our Own
Apartment programs help teens get ready.

FROM GROUP HOME TO HOMELESS
Nowhere to Call Home
Almost half of former foster youth become homeless.
I'm one of them.
On the Run
Life got tough, I got going.

INDEPENDENT LIVING
Are Independent Living Classes Enough?

GET ME OUTTA HERE!
Running Scared
I couldn't face my group home again, so I bounced.
Cut Down
I'd been hurt so much, abusing myself seemed like an escape
Hooked
My experiment with drugs became addiction.

IT TAKES TRUST
Opening Up to My Shorty

CAN YOU GO HOME AGAIN?
A Second Chance
My mom's addiction hurt me, but we've found
a way to be close.
Losing Barbie

PITCHING IN
Girl, Stop Fronting!
When I reached out to my arch enemy, I made a
true friend.

WHEN YOUR PARENT IS IN PRISON
Wish You Were Here
My dad spent my childhood behind bars.
Dealing With It
Kids of prisoners find support.
Pen Pals
My dad got locked up. Our letters keep us close.

HOW FOSTER CARE AFFECTS
YOUR EDUCATION
The Miseducation of Foster Youth
When group home teachers expect the worst.
From Bad Boy to Bookworm
Foster care helped me focus.

MAKING THE SYSTEM WORK FOR YOU
Safety in Numbers
Adults say all kids need a family, but I found acceptance in group care.
Little Man's Burden
At age 4, I was trying to support my fam.
Then foster care supported me.
Saved by the System
When I have no one to turn to, the system's got my back.

TEACHING KIDS CONTROL: WHAT HELPS AND WHAT HURTS
Introduction
Beating the Bullies
Abuse made me angry. I took it out on others and myself.
Temper Tamers?
The 411 on all the programs I've been in.
Stop Thief!
Stealing was fun and gravy until I would up in the system.
Treated Like an Animal (Parts I & II)
After two years in the psych ward, I though I'd never get out.

(Other 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.