Christmas

I wanted to try and capture what Christmas meant to children in care. I thought the best way to do this was to use their words. Here are some quotes I’ve remembered, happy and sad. I’m sure you have plenty of others. Please share them.

Even after fostering for 25 years I am still moved to tears by the abuse and neglect that some children have experienced at Christmas before coming into care. Their suffering seems more poignant at Christmas time when glad tidings of great joy should abound and love be with us all. I think I must have heard of every atrocity and sadness being committed over Christmas, from the little boy who carefully picked the batter off the two chicken nuggets he found in an otherwise empty freezer, to make them look more like the turkey he saw the rosy-cheeked children enjoying on television. To the four year old who was badly beaten on Christmas morning and then shut in a cupboard for waking his parents too early. He’d woken them to ask if Santa Clause had been – he hadn’t.