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Television Shows The Town 2012 The Town (2012) is a 3 part British television series, with kinship care as a central theme. Mark Nicholas (Andrew Scott) returns to his hometown of Renton after his parents die. He moves in with his 15-year-old sister, Jodie (Avugauk Tkakun) and his grandmother (Julia McKenzie) lives in the home too. Mark then begins to investigate the supposed suicide of his parents. External Website

Authors K Kids ➝ Lloyd Kelly shares his foster story ➝ Kiri ➝ Back to Top

Authors O David O'Brien ➝ Back to Top

Autobiography/Memoir The WOTS Family Cheryl Campbell 2009 WOTS stands for Ward of the State. Cheryl was born in 1961, in Mt Isa, Queensland. She first lived with her grandparents, but when she went to live with her mother, her mother's partner was physically and sexually abusive. Running away to escape being raped by the man set Sharon up for becoming a Ward of the State. In many ways being a Ward of the State and living in foster care or in a residential care facility was far preferable to living with her mother and various dubious partners. External Website

Autobiography/Memoir Long Yarn Short Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts 2024 Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts, a Bundjalung Widubul-Wiabul woman, was appointed in February 2024 as the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) inaugural Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People Commissioner. In October 2024, Vanessa Turnbull-Robert’s memoir, “Long Yarn Short” was published. Vanessa Turnbull-Robers was removed from her family and taken into the foster care system when she was 10 years old. She went through a number of ‘placements’ before she was settled until the one home where she stayed until she was 18. In her memoir, Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts questions why the money that is spent on what she calls the “family policing” system doesn’t go to supporting those families and communities that are struggling. External Website

News - broadcast, print, internet, magazine articles The Wild Wist The Monthly 2025 In this The Monthly article (5 May 2025), Australian writer Martin McKenzie-Murry reviews the final film featuring Marilyn Monroe, The Misfits (1961). McKenzie-Murry references Monroe’s difficult childhood https://www.careexperienceandculture.com/master/marilyn-monroe-(actor) but insists she was “never a great actor”. “She was either too anxious or too numb, and there was a reason her lines were taped inside props – such as drawers – during the shooting of Some Like It Hot.” McKenzie-Murry goes on to argue that it should be possible to both acknowledge her suffering and appreciate her achievements without “exaggerating” her talent. https://www.themonthly.com.au/martin-mckenzie-murray/2025/05/06/wild-wist External Website

Authors D Jenny Diski ➝ Alan Dapré ➝ Frederick Douglass (1818-1895) ➝ Charles Dickens ➝ Alan Duff ➝ Arthur Conan Doyle ➝ René Descartes ➝ Robert Dessaix ➝ Susan Huntington Gilbert Dickinson ➝ Wayne Dyer ➝ Mary Douglas ➝ Trent Dalton ➝ Philip Doddridge ➝ Stella Dadzie ➝ Henry Darger (writer) ➝ Back to Top

Autobiography/Memoir Out of Darkness. Growing up with the Christian Brothers Ivor A Knight 1998 Ivor Knight, born in 1934 in Perth, was declared a ‘neglected child’ in 1938 and placed in the custody of the Christian Brothers. He survived the Castledare, Clontarf and Tardun orphanages after which he worked on sheep and cattle stations. In 1968, he joined the Western Australian Prison Service and rose through the ranks to Superintendent. He took early retirement in 1991 External Website

Films/Videos Hostile Territory 2022 Hostile Territory (2022) is another, more recent film that takes up the topic of the Orphan Trains. During the Civil War, Union soldier Jack Calgrove (Brian Presley) is presumed dead. After his wife dies, the children, presumed orphans, are sent away on an Orphan Train. When the war is over, Jack Calgrove goes in search of his children. While Jack is successful in reuniting with his children, the film highlights the broader issues of families being torn apart by war. External Website

Cartoons Not all Superheroes wear capes! ➝ Not so broken - The Fostering Network ➝ Hey Arnold ➝ Animation - "Someone to..." a short film about foster care ➝ Dumbo ➝ Sesame Street - Foster Care ➝ Emily's Story: Haringey foster care guide ➝ Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends ➝ Back to Top

Autobiography/Memoir Borstal Boy Brendan Behan 1958 Borstal Boy (1958) is an autobiographical work by Irish writer Brendan Behan (b. Feb 9 1923-d. Mar 20 1964, Dublin). He was an Irish author noted for his earthy satire and powerful political commentary. The book recounts Behan’s youthful defiance, his commitment to the Irish Republican cause, and his subsequent imprisonment in an English Borstal (a reformatory) at the age of 16. Alongside accounts of harsh treatment, Behan vividly describes moments of camaraderie, dramatic and musical pursuits, as well as his engagement in gardening and handicrafts. Notable for its authentic dialogue, the book captures the raw and immediate exchanges between inmates. External Website

Performing Arts Guitarist-singer-songwriter B B King African American blues singer-song writer, BB King (1925-2015), was born Riley B King to sharecroppers in Mississippi. His father deserted the family when Riley was young and his mother died when he was 10. It’s not clear with whom Riley lived from then, some sources say his grandmother, others say other relatives. In 1949, King left for Memphis then went on to Chicago where he soon was regularly performing at a nightclub. The following year, King signed with a Los Angeles based label, Modern Records, which specialised in jazz. From the 1960s, BB King toured all over the world. He continued touring and recording until shortly before his death in 2015. External Website

Authors A Edward Albee ➝ Paul Abbott ➝ David Akinsanya ➝ Back to Top

Writers Lisa Cherry Lisa Cherry spent time in care from 13 years old. She later experienced homelessness before being picked up and supported by a charity. Cherry is an author and a leading international trainer and consultant, specialising in assisting those in Education, Social Care and Adoption and Fostering to understand trauma, recovery and resilience for vulnerable children, young people and their families. Lisa has over 30 years of experience in this field and combines academic knowledge and research with professional skills and personal experience. Lisa completed her DPhil research at The University of Oxford in the Department of Education. The research asked "How do care experienced adults who were also excluded from school make sense of belonging?" She has written 3 books: The Brightness of Stars; https://www.careexperienceandculture.com/master/conversations-that-make-a-difference-for-children-and-young-people%3A-relationship-focused-practice-from-the-frontline; and Weaving a Web of Belonging: Developing a Trauma-Informed Culture for All Children External Website

Authors D Teenage Tales: Sneaking Looks In Sexy Books ➝ That Reminds Me by Derek Owusu review – a fresh and powerful debut ➝ ‘Dream come true’: Orphans evacuated to Australia in perilous journey through Afghanistan ➝ Unbelievable review – grimly credible story of trauma, power and injustice ➝ What Would Gabriel García Márquez Have Thought of the Netflix Version of His Novel? ➝ A ladder to the stars: Ian Dickson’s reflections on 70 years of the care system ➝ Doctor Who: The Timeless Children or Dr Who was a foundling ➝ Back to Top

Autobiography/Memoir The Brightness of Stars: Stories of Adults Who Came Through the Care System Lisa Cherry 2022 In this poignant book, Lisa Cherry brings together a collection of candid and personal reflections on the care system in the UK, offering alternative ways of thinking about the care experience, supporting better ways of working, and providing justification for a trauma-informed lens to be applied to all forms of work with those in care. Through personal insights and reflections, the book brings often-unheard stories vividly to life, beginning with the author’s own. These are stories about love and pain; hurt and isolation; the depth of lived experience that makes up a life; how we live our lives through our relationships with others and where we feel we fit in. In this thoughtfully compiled third edition, original contributors such as Pav Akhtar, look back on their own reflections from the lives that they live now, new stories from activists Isabelle Kirkham; Rosie Canning, Sean Geoghegan, and others bring new perspectives, and discussion points provide the opportunity to consider the realities of the care experience as well as life beyond. Whilst each story is unique, shared themes reveal the truth of the care system and, coming at a time where there is a real opportunity for change, the narratives in this book are ultimately stories of hope and connection. This is crucial reading for policy makers, those working in social work, education and adoption, as well as care experienced adults. External Website

Authors M Lorraine Mafi-Williams ➝ Shane McCrae ➝ John Masefield poet) ➝ Yusuf P. McCormack (poet) ➝ Back to Top

Autobiography/Memoir Acceptance: A Memoir Emi Nietfeld 2022 Acceptance is a memoir of the author's journey through foster care and homelessness, interrogating the true meanings of resilience, ambition, and success. As a homeless teenager writing college essays in her rusty Toyota Corolla, Emi Nietfeld was convinced that the Ivy League was the only escape from her dysfunctional childhood. But upward mobility required crafting the perfect resilience narrative. She had to prove that she was an “overcomer,” made stronger by all that she had endured. The truth was more complicated. Emi’s mom was a charming hoarder who had her put on antipsychotics but believed in her daughter’s brilliance—unlike the Minnesotan foster family who banned her “pornographic” art history flash cards (of Michelangelo’s David). Emi’s other parent vanished shortly after coming out as trans, a situation few understood in the mid-2000s. Her own past was filled with secrets: mental health struggles, Adderall addiction, and the unbecoming desperation of a teenager fending for herself. And though Emi would go on to graduate from Harvard and become a software engineer at Google, she found that success didn’t necessarily mean safety. External Website

Actors Sophie Willan Sophie Willan was born 1987 and is a British actress and comedian. She has won three BAFTAs for her television sitcom Alma's Not Normal. She grew up in Bolton, and spent time in care as a child as her mother was a heroin addict. In 2016 she took her debut stand up show On Record, based on her experiences of growing up in and out of the care system, to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. A total sell out run and phenomenal critical acclaim followed, with a smash hit nationwide tour in 2017 and a commission to adapt the show into a BBC Radio 4 series. Sophie is a Care Leaver, who’s personal experiences are part of her life’s mission; to empower, represent and advocate for care experienced young people and marginalised children and adults. In 2015, Sophie founded non-profit organisation, Stories Of Care; a dynamic and rebellious writing and outreach organisation, that work exclusively with exceptional new writers, from diverse backgrounds. They offer long-term developmental support to their participants so that they can become creative leaders and make personal and political work that smashes through the glass ceilings across Theatre, Radio, Stand-Up, Television and Literature. As an Executive Producer on her BBC Two sitcom, Alma’s Not Normal, Sophie has also instigated a paid training programme for young people from low income and Care Experienced backgrounds on the production. External Website

Children's Fiction Understood Betsy Dorothy Canfield Fisher 1916 Understood Betsy is a novel for children written by American writer and activist, Dorothy Canfield Fisher (1879-1958). It was first published in 1916. Understood Betsy tells the story of 9-year-old orphan, Elizabeth Ann—Betsy—who lives first with her father’s aunt Harriet and cousin Frances in the city. She later moves to live a farm with her mother’s family, the Putneys. The child is clearly loved in both households but the parenting practices are markedly different. With aunt Harriet and cousin Frances is mollycoddled, whereas with the Putney’s Betsy is expected to walk to school and contribute to the household chores. When cousin Frances comes to collect Betsy, she is surprised to find Betsy thriving at the farm and wanting to stay there. External Website