We spoke to Aiden who was placed out of home at an early age and has lived in different places. He talks about how he experienced this and where he stands now in this blog.

My birthday

“Since I was 15, I have not lived at home but stayed in a safehouse and combination groups. At 18, I had to leave there from the Youth Act. I was taken to the shelter on my birthday. I hated it and asked the safehouse counsellor if I could stay one more day so I could celebrate my birthday with my friends from the safehouse. I was there for a long time, so friendships developed. That was not allowed. I thought it was terrible.’

To the shelter

‘At the shelter, it was a big contrast because there were so many diverse people who were much older with very different stories. It gave me a lot of anxiety. I begged my mother to let me go back home, because I wanted to save up and that didn't work in the shelter because staying in a shelter costs money. That went well for a few months. Then things got out of hand and I didn't feel safe at home, so I called another shelter.