A Series by The Girl SpeaksThis is the beginning of a multi-part series sharing my personal journey through forced adoption.It’s a story of loss, survival, and truth — told piece by piece, memory by memory, as it happened. "The UK remains one of the only countries in Europe where children can be forcibly adopted without… Continue reading 1: Stolen: My Journey Through Forced Adoption
Your Story: Anon Member
I am protecting my child, I suffered years of abuse at the hands of their father along with his son too and once he separated and met a new woman, my precious child became the abused. Social services stopped contact and the result, was an angry abusive man taking me to court to try and… Continue reading Your Story: Anon Member
Stigma in Silence: Why I Refuse to Stay Quiet
There was a time before social media, before public discourse opened doors that were once bolted shut when the mere mention of social services carried a weight heavier than most could understand. If they were involved in your life, people didn’t ask why. They assumed. You were labelled. Judged. Cast as a “bad parent” before… Continue reading Stigma in Silence: Why I Refuse to Stay Quiet
When Help Feels Like Harm: A Personal Perspective on Social Services and the Family Court System
“Every story shared through ‘The Girl Speaks’ is a glimpse into lived experience. Today, we share a powerful testimony from a parent who wanted their voice heard — not for sympathy, but for change. This is their truth.” Social services, in theory, are designed to support families in crisis — to offer guidance, protection, and… Continue reading When Help Feels Like Harm: A Personal Perspective on Social Services and the Family Court System
Telling the Truth Isn’t Illegal — But It’s Treated Like Rebellion
Telling the truth isn’t illegal.But in a system built on silence, it’s treated like rebellion.I don’t speak to break the law —I speak to break the silence.Because if telling the truth feels like a crime,maybe it’s the silence that’s been guilty all along. More and more parents, carers, and even young people with lived experience… Continue reading Telling the Truth Isn’t Illegal — But It’s Treated Like Rebellion
When the System Gives Up on a Child
Our oldest son turned up on our doorstep.Not because he ran but because he couldn’t cope.And neither could they. We did everything right.We brought him inside, calmed him down, made sure he was safe.We called the professionals, followed the rules, waited for someone to come. When the foster carer arrived, something became painfully clear:They had… Continue reading When the System Gives Up on a Child
In vs. Out: The Brutal Truth About Kids in Care
Every single week, around 600 children in the UK are taken from their homes and placed into care. And in that same week? Only about 140 make it back. That means for every child who makes it home, four more are pulled away. Four more bags packed in a hurry. Four more goodbyes whispered through… Continue reading In vs. Out: The Brutal Truth About Kids in Care
“The Cruelty of Birthdays”
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”
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
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