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Radio & Podcast Rousseau on Inequality Talking Politics: History of Ideas 2021 Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Discourse on Inequality (also known as the Second Discourse) is the subject of David Runciman's 1st talk for the second series of the Talking Politics and History of Ideas podcast. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) was abandoned by his father (his mother died when he was 9 days old) when he was 10. The boy was left in kinship care with an uncle who in turn fostered him out for 2 years. David Runciman doesn't talk about this, but does talk about how Rousseau abandoned his own children, 5 of them, to a foundling home. He's not a 'nice' philosopher concludes Runciman. External Website

Authors A Ten Things Every Foster Child Wishes You Knew: A Guide to Fostering Hope ➝ Eden's Story ➝ Abby's Story ➝ We Were Once a Family ➝ Stella's Story ➝ Back to Top

Authors J Judge John Deed ➝ Jack Ryan ➝ Joe Swash: Teens in Care ➝ Back to Top

Blogs/Web Pages/Articles Delma Hughes: I grew up in a world without parents Delma Hughes 2010 Delma Hughes spent most of her childhood in care. She didn't realise she had a mother and father – she didn't even know her date of birth – but her big sister meant the world to her. Taken into care at just 18 months old, Delma grew up without knowing she had parents, siblings, or even a birthday. Shuffled through 20 different placements and routinely medicated, she experienced a childhood devoid of love, stability, or identity. Her one anchor was her sister Lucy, but even they were separated by the system—an all-too-common practice that continues today, with 86% of children in care still split from their siblings. Determined to turn her pain into change, she founded Siblings Together in 2008, a charity that reunites siblings separated in care through holiday camps. Her work is a direct response to the system's failures, offering children the connection, memories, and healing that she was denied. External Website

Fiction featuring Care Experience Mothering Sunday (book) Graham Swift 2016 From the Booker Award winner: a luminous, profoundly moving work of fiction that begins with an afternoon tryst in 1924 between a servant girl and the young man of the neighboring house, but then opens to reveal the whole life of a remarkable woman. Twenty-two-year-old Jane Fairchild, orphaned at birth, has worked as a maid at one English country estate since she was sixteen. And for almost all of those years she has been the secret lover to Paul Sheringham, the scion of the estate next door. On an unseasonably warm March afternoon, Jane and Paul will make love for the last time--though not, as Jane believes, because Paul is about to be married--and the events of the day will alter Jane's life forever. As the narrative moves back and forth from 1924 to the end of the century, what we know and understand about Jane--about the way she loves, thinks, feels, sees, remembers--deepens with every beautifully wrought moment. External Website

Radio & Podcast The Strange Life of Ingrid Von Oelhafen The History Listen 2024 In this History Listen podcast, Ingrid von Oelhafen, a German physiotherapist, recounts the story of her incredible childhood. First, she and her brother were left in an orphanage for 5 years. Then the 2 were returned to their tyrannical father. After her brother disappeared one day, Ingrid found out he was a foster child. Later, she found out she was a foster child. It was decades before Ingrid found out who her parents were. External Website

Artists Madge Gill Born 19 January 1882, an illegitimate child in East Ham, Essex, (now Greater London), Madge Gill spent much of her early years in seclusion because her family could not tolerate the embarrassment. At age nine, despite her mother still being alive, she was placed in a Barnardo’s Girls’ Village Home orphanage at Barkingside, Ilford, Essex. She was sent by Barnardo's to Canada in 1896 and then worked as a domestic servant, nursemaid and nurse before she married. Following her death in 1961, thousands of Madge's drawings were found in her home and later exhibited internationally. External Website

Authors S Don't Ever Cry ➝ How the Light Gets In: Writing as Spiritual Practice ➝ The Long Way Home ➝ Back on the block: Bill Simon's story ➝ Palimpsest ➝ Better than Happiness: The true antidote to discontent ➝ A pavane for another time ➝ The Autobiography of Sir Henry Morton Stanley ➝ Barbara Sumner ➝ A Tertiary Moment ➝ Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood ➝ Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands ➝ A Tuesday Thing ➝ The Bridgeburn Days ➝ Our Betty ➝ The Boy Adeodatus ➝ Tortured ➝ Fight The Fear ➝ No Ordinary Liz: An extraodinary story of life and family ➝ A personal journey towards healing and redress ➝ Poum and Alexandre: A Paris Memoir ➝ Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn’t Ours ➝ Burnished: Burnside Life Stories: A collection of life accounts from residents of Burnside Children's Homes, Sydney ➝ My Name Is Why ➝ Out of the Forest ➝ To Learn is to Live: Education Nourishes Self-Worth ➝ The girl in the locker: the true story of twins abandoned by their mother to a life of abuse, and their survival and fight for freedom ➝ Desperate Hearts ➝ The Boy Who Loved Books: A Memoir ➝ Beyond the Orphanage Years ➝ Back to Top

Films/Videos The Protege 2021 The Protege (2021) is an action thriller with an orphan character as the protagonist. Anna (Maggie Q) is a professional assassin based in London and running an upmarket book shop as her cover. She was rescued from Vietnam 30 years earlier by Moody Dutton (Samuel L. Jackson), a legendary assassin. Early in the film, Care Experienced writer, Edgar All Poe (foster care), gets a mention as a first edition of his poetry sells for more than 250,000 pounds. External Website

Writers Annie Besant 1847-1933 Annie Besant (1847 – 1933) was a British socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, writer, orator, educationist, and philanthropist. Annie Wood was born to Irish parents, William Wood and Ellen Morris, who left Dublin, Ireland for England in 1845 because of the famine. William Wood died of tuberculosis when Annie was 5 years old. Instead of taking charity, Ellen took over the running of a boy’s boarding house at the Harrow School. Because Ellen considered it unsuitable for Annie to live at the boarding house, the child was put into foster care in Dorset with Ellen Marryat until she was 16. Annie Besant became a prominent member of the 1880s revival of socialism, along with George Bernard Shaw, and it was Shaw who encouraged Besant to join the Fabian Society. She was active in a number of social reforms, including the London matchgirls strike of 1888—which she called “white slavery”—when she successfully challenged the match manufacturers to improve working conditions. Besant was involved with Theosophy from the late 1880s and moved to Madras, India in 1893. There she became involved in the independence movement and in education, founding the Central Hindu College which later became the Central Hindu School. Besant also encouraged Madan Mohan Malaviya in establishing the Banaras Hindu University. External Website

Radio & Podcast Patricia Cornwell (podcast) World Book Club 2008 American crime writer, Patricia Cornwell, was in foster care for a while when her mother was hospitalised because of serious depression. In this podcast, Patricia Cornwell talks about her experience in foster care briefly and how she wishes she had someone like the character she has created, Kay Scarpetta, to turn to. External Website

Autobiography/Memoir Life After Care: From Lost Cause to MBE Mark Edwards 2017 In this book, we follow Mark's journey with anxiety, panic attacks and depression, and we learn about the enduring impact his childhood had on his mental health.His diary entries bring to life the thoughts and feelings of Mark, as a teenager, struggling to understand how he came to be placed in care, and how to deal with his adolescent feelings of loss and love.On the verge of breakdown, Mark tried to take his own life and he was sectioned under the mental health act. We follow his journey from local authority care to the wards of a crumbling Victorian psychiatric asylum, and beyond into life on the streets. External Website

Television Shows Alex Rider 2020 Based on the Alex Rider novels by Anthony Horowitz, Alex Rider is a British spy thriller. London teenager, Alex Rider, who has been living with his uncle since his parents died, is recruited by a subdivision of MI6 upon the death of his uncle. Alex's job in Series 1 is to infiltrate a 'reform' school for wayward rich kids. In the 2nd series, he doesn't have a formal role but does much of 'The Department's' work for them. There is an additional orphan character in Series 2, Kyra Vashenko-Chao, who is a skilled gamer, hacker and programmer (reminiscent of Lisbeth Salander of the Dragon Tatoo). At one point Kyra suggests that she and Alex form "an orphan club". He counters by saying they need a 'survivors club'. Kyra is not a character in the books by Anthony Horowitz, but appears to be an innovation of the screenwriter for the series. External Website

Fiction featuring Care Experience The White Crow Michael Robotham 2025 The White Crow (2025) by Australian crime writer, Michael Robotham, features a child who is displaced from her family after the murder of her mother. We learn about 5-year-old Daisy early in the novel as PC Philomena McCarthy sees her on the street alone one night when she is out on patrol. Daisy spends the night with PC McCarthy (the social worker is awful) before she moves in with family friend Amber. At the end of the novel it is still not decided with whom Daisy will live but Amber is now out of the question. External Website

Fiction by Care Experienced authors Stone Girl Eleni Hale 2018 An unspeakable event changes everything for Sophie. No more Mum, school or bed of her own. She's made a ward of the state and grows up in a volatile world where kids make their own rules, adults don't count and the only constant is change. Until one day she meets Gwen, Matty and Spiral. Spiral is the most furious, beautiful boy Sophie has ever known. And as their bond tightens she finally begins to confront what happened in her past.I'm at the police station. There's blood splattered across my face and clothes. In this tiny room with walls the colour of winter sky I hug a black backpack full of treasures. Only one thing is certain . . . no one can ever forgive me for what I've done.Winner of the Readings YA Book Prize, 2019Voted the Best Young Adult Book of the year by Readings customersVoted Favourite YA Read of the year by Kids' Book ReviewVoted in the top 100 great reads by Australian womenShortlisted for New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature, 2019Contains mature content. Suitable for older readers. External Website

News - broadcast, print, internet, magazine articles Alone in the world | The Spectator Philip Hensher 2018 A review of Jeremy Seabrook's book, Orphans: A History External Website

Films/Videos The Hurricane 1999 African American professional boxer and activist, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter (1937-2014), was in a boys' home as a child. Rubin Carter was born in Clifton, New Jersey, 1 of 7 children. He was 11 when he stabbed a man and was sent to Jamesburg State Home for Boys. He escaped after 6 years and enlisted in the army, where he did well. Rubin Carter began his boxing career in 1961. He and another man were convicted of murder in 1967, but the convictions were formally dismissed in 1988. This story is told in The Hurricane (1999) and Rubin Cartin is played by Denzel Washington. The film also tells something of the story of Lesra Martin. Martin was born in 1963. Illiterate at the age of 15, he moved in with 3 Canadians, read the 16th Round by Rubin Carter, wrote to Carter in prison, and - along with his foster family - helped to find the evidence that eventually led to Carter's conviction being overturned. Lesra Martin went on to become a lawyer and motivational speaker. External Website

Fiction featuring Care Experience The Battle For Christabel Margaret Forster 2004 Rowena wants a baby. What she doesn't want is the baby's father. Yet five years after the birth of Christabel, Rowena is dead, tragically killed in a climbing accident. The battle for Christabel has begun...With signature skill, Margaret Forster reveals the conflicting personal interests that lie behind each character’s claim on the child. Drawn from the perspectives of social workers, grandparents, lovers and foster-mothers, this novel is a remarkable and heartfelt exploration of the complexities of motherhood. External Website

Films/Videos The Children's Train 2024 The Children’s Train (2024) is an Italian film based on the eponymous novel by Viola Ardone. In 1946, Antonietta, an impoverished single mother, arranges for her only child, her son Amerigo, to travel from Naples to northern Italy to live with a host family in Modena. This was part of the ‘trains of happiness’ initiative organized by the Italian Communist Part to support poor southern families after WWII. Amerigo reluctantly joins the ‘trains of happiness’. After he returns home, Amerigo decides he is better off with Derna in Modena and he takes the train back to her. External Website

Fiction featuring Care Experience Leatherstocking Tales James Fenimore Cooper 1841 The Leathingstocking Tales is a series of 5 novels featuring Natty Bumppo who is a white man raised by Delaware Indians and educated by members of a Protestant church, the Moravians. He is a courageous warrior with a number of nicknames, including Hawkeye. One of Cooper's stories featuring Natty Bumppo, "The Last of the Mohicans" has been adapted for film several times. Some historians believe that Nathaniel Shipman, who was a close friend of the Mohican Indians, was the inspiration for Natty Bumppo. External Website