Understanding choice, voice, and reality in care I see this question asked again and again: “What happens when my child turns 16?”“What rights do they have?”“Can they come home?” And the honest answer is — it’s complicated.But it’s not as powerless as families are often led to believe.Children’s voices don’t suddenly appear at 18 From… Continue reading When Teenagers “Vote With Their Feet”

There’s a phrase I hear over and over again. “They don’t take children for no reason.” It’s often said confidently.Sometimes kindly.Sometimes as a full stop to a conversation that hasn’t even begun.But the problem isn’t that people believe the system acts with reason.The problem is that this phrase assumes reason equals truth, and that once… Continue reading Why “They Don’t Take Children for No Reason” Misses the Point

There’s something I feel I need to say out loud, clearly and honestly. I can’t bring your children home. I don’t have that kind of power, and I would never claim to.I’m not a lawyer.I’m not a social worker.I’m not a miracle worker. I’m just a mother who survived a system that tried to silence… Continue reading I Can’t Bring Your Children Home — But I Can Walk With You

When you're thrown into the world of child protection, court proceedings, or PLO letters — it's overwhelming. You're told what to do, what not to do, who you should speak to. You’re handed a list of “recommended” solicitors. And because you’ve never been here before, you follow the lead. But here’s something I wish someone… Continue reading Not All Help Is Helpful: Why You Don’t Have to Use a Local Solicitor

Families are often told the same advice when the system comes knocking: “Keep every email. Record every call. Write down every detail.” It can sound obsessive, even mistrustful. But when your family’s future rests on the words of professionals, those words matter more than anything else. And words have a way of shifting. The Meeting… Continue reading When Words Shift: Why We Record Everything

My daughter grew up in the sound of siblings — laughter, arguments, footsteps thundering across the floor. Chaos was her comfort. Noise meant she wasn’t alone. Then she was taken.Placed in foster care.Even there, she had company. Another child in the home. More chaos. More noise. When she came back to us, it was different.… Continue reading “Silence Hurts More Than Chaos: When Sibling Bonds Are Torn Apart”

When I first began The Girl Speaks, it was never about me.It was about a system.About the quiet, hidden battles so many families face behind closed doors and courtroom walls.I wanted to shine a light on what is so often kept in the shadows , not by shouting, but by speaking softly enough that people… Continue reading From the System to My Story: How The Girl Speaks Has Grown