Jada’s Story
Jada was abused from a young age. She started going missing from home. Determined to get her life back on track, she looked for help. Jada met one of our project workers and has since gone from strength to strength. She is now doing a traineeship and is looking forward to going to university.
A childhood alone
Not an easy childhood
Jada did not have an easy childhood. 'My mum drank a lot. She’d get physically abusive once she’d had a drink. I’d go to sleep and then she would wake me up screaming.’
She was just 11 when social services sent her older sister into care, leaving Jada with her abusive mum.
Jada felt alone. She couldn't focus at school and faced violence at home.
Doing it alone
On her 16th birthday, her mum kicked her out. ‘She just woke up and kicked me out. I went into school and school reported it to social services because I wasn’t fully dressed.’
Jada was placed in semi-independent housing. 'I was alright living by myself, that wasn’t really the big problem. I just got involved with the wrong people.' Without the support she needed, Jada turned to drugs and alcohol.
After just four months Jada was forced to move back in with her mother. But within a week her mum called the police to get [her] out the house, and then locked the doors.’
I have the ability
and strength
to change it I have the ability and strength to change it
Finding the right carer
Jada never lost hope
Never giving up, Jada admitted herself to emergency foster care. ‘Finding the right carer who really takes you in can make all the difference and has definitely made a big difference to my life.’
This is when she met our project worker, Kirsten.
'When I first met Kirsten, my guard was constantly up. I didn’t really see anything good... I then began to understand that life is what I make of it.’
Positive outlook
There is always someone I can talk to if I’m struggling to cope and the walls come crashing in
Jada is stronger now and has completely changed her outlook on life. She has learnt ways to deal with her past and is now confidently looking to the future.
She continues to see Kirsten and now lives in a safe and caring home. She is doing a traineeship and wants to study Psychology at university.
‘This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of The Children’s Society, who put me in touch with the company who deliver the programme. Kirsten even came along to my enrolment and has always had faith in me.’
case study
This is a true story but names and identifying details have been changed to protect the young person and the photographs have been posed by models.
