Birthdays are supposed to be a celebration. A marker of growth, of love, of life shared. But in the world of child protection, birthdays can feel like one of the cruelest days of the year. This month, I’ve faced two of them.Two of my children, growing older — not beside me, but somewhere else.In homes… Continue reading “The Cruelty of Birthdays”
Author: TheGirlSpeaks
A Quiet Space, Finally
For those of us who’ve lived through systems that silenced us, the noise of the online world can feel just as overwhelming. So many of us are still carrying stories we’ve never been able to tell. Or maybe we’ve told them, and weren’t believed. Or were punished for speaking. That’s why I’ve created something gentler.… Continue reading A Quiet Space, Finally
Still Speaking: A Quiet Growth Story
There are moments in this journey that don’t ask for noise.They ask for reflection. For stillness. For truth to stretch its roots and quietly rise. This isn’t a rebrand.There’s no marketing strategy. No sudden change in direction.Just growth — honest, slow, and deeply intentional. When The Girl Speaks began, it was a whisper into the… Continue reading Still Speaking: A Quiet Growth Story
Protected: “What Would You Do?”
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
A Family Torn Between the Lines
This is the part no one sees. Our daughter has been home for nearly two weeks — not because the system decided she was ready, not because a court order changed, but because she ran.She walked away from foster care, quietly, and came back to us. Not in crisis.Not chaotic.Just… needing her family. She’s nearly… Continue reading A Family Torn Between the Lines
When the Truth Isn’t Enough: A Mother’s Story
Disclaimer: This blog is based on my lived experience. All statements reflect documented events, personal records, professional communications, and my own interpretation of what has taken place. Where possible, I have retained evidence to support my account. This post is not intended to name individuals or violate court orders, but to raise awareness of the… Continue reading When the Truth Isn’t Enough: A Mother’s Story
Is She Vulnerable — Or Just Waking Up?
They keep calling her vulnerable.But no one explains what she’s supposedly vulnerable to.Not to us — her parents. Not to school. Not to danger.So what is it, exactly?She isn’t hiding. She isn’t breaking down. She isn’t unsafe.She’s waking up.She’s said it herself: “I like foster care. They throw money at me.”And as a teenager, that’s… Continue reading Is She Vulnerable — Or Just Waking Up?
A Week in Limbo: When Safety Isn’t Enough
In just a few hours, it will have been a full week since our daughter arrived at our door — shaken, triggered, but safe. Not in crisis. Not hiding. Not unsafe. Just a child who needed comfort and ran to the one place she’s always instinctively known to be home. And since then, she’s still… Continue reading A Week in Limbo: When Safety Isn’t Enough
6: Degrees Don’t Equal Experience: A Parent’s Perspective
Conclusion: Our Voices Aren’t Optional — They’re Essential Over the past five posts, I’ve laid out something that so many families experience but rarely get the space to say out loud: this system often speaks about us, but not to us. It relies on qualifications and checklists, but not always on understanding. It holds parents… Continue reading 6: Degrees Don’t Equal Experience: A Parent’s Perspective
5: Degrees Don’t Equal Experience: A Parent’s Perspective
Part Five: What Lived Experience Could Teach the System Throughout this series, I’ve spoken about what it feels like to be a parent in a system that often sees us as less than. Less informed. Less credible. Less worthy of trust. And the root of that imbalance usually comes down to one thing: lived experience… Continue reading 5: Degrees Don’t Equal Experience: A Parent’s Perspective
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