Publisher's Synopsis
Two simple words with a wealth of meaning. Can be spoken in anger, or in tears, or as a question, as if the questioner really wants an answer, and posed sometimes by the young girls in this story. Many had come into care as teenagers, while others had been in the care system since childhood. All presented feelings of inadequacy, poor self-image and low self-esteem. All were intelligent. All had all suffered some kind of trauma including neglect, and/or physical, mental or sexual abuse.
This story shows what life was like for these youngsters going through the care system during their teenage years in the 1980s, as it portrays the highs and lows of their daily life in their living and schooling in a children's home. It shows that when the staff caring for them really did care, they responded to kindness with co-operation, whether it was in the units they called home or in the classroom. It also shows what a privilege it is to be caring for these children, helping to build their confidence and self-esteem to enable them to face the world when leaving care.
