"To be normal is to be a typical youth. To be normal is to have limited barriers like the non-foster care youth you sit next to in class. The ones who only have one set of parents and not everything in their lives is analyzed. Being normal is to have privacy, love, and safety provided in the most natural way possible.” -Ashley 17
“Normal to me is feeling like a part of my new family. I never want to be treated differently than other people in my home. At the same time, I want to express myself my way.” -Sam
For youth in foster care, normalcy means they want to be like their friends and feel a part of a family. This includes:
- Being part of a caring family that supports them.
- Doing the normal daily and extracurricular activities they choose.
- Being a person, not a label.
- Making decisions, trying new things, and sometimes making mistakes.
