I got rid of my foster care file!
I guess this counts as a little addendum to my 2008 documentary about my foster care file. I conclude the program by saying “I’m probably just going to put it in one of my closets, I’m gonna put it away somewhere…. I’m just going to file it, file my file.”
I’ve decided that I no longer have space for 800 pages of government reports about me. Whenever I open up my closet I always see the blue binder and every time I see it I am briefly reminded of what’s in it and I’m not really crazy about all of that. So, I decided to just recycle the damn thing. Yeah… I’ve scanned a back up copy just in case I ever need to access the information, but it’s a lot easier to hide a computer file than a giant blue binder.
I am proud of you for not letting the system keep you down. I was a Crown Ward for sixteen years. My brother and I both. We were moved thirteen times and suffered abuse in some homes, while others were good.
I do want to say that a good thing to do with files if you are able to get them (I’ve been fighting for over ten years to get mine but in Ontario the CAS has them and they are not subject to freedom of information legislation and therefore continue to keep the files close to their chest…
I would like to say that someone who has their file could go through it line by line, and display what they wrote about you, then put your own comments below it to show workers today, who are making notes about foster kids, notes that will seriously impact their lives while in care, that their opinions and notes are not always accurate and are sometimes quite harmful since we are labeled and judged by those notes as we pass through the system.
Anyways, my fellow brother, good to see you are doing well. I also did a foster care story on CBC OUTFRONT which takes you on a virtual subway ride through my life in foster care called life in foster care is like a subway ride. You can hear it by visiting http://www.afterfostercare.ca/subway.html