For these former foster children, one thing is clear: The stable, loving homes provided by their foster families have had a transformative effect on their lives.
“Without my foster parents, I don’t think I’d be able to do what I’m doing now,” said Ong-Nonis. “Without them, I can’t be who I am.”
Tan had this to say: “Because of how my parents have always been taking care of me and the people around them, (it makes me) want to be like them.”
As for Alejado, religion and counselling have helped her deal with old wounds.
She has come to see her birth family as a representation of the difficult times she had gone through, while her foster family represents “a new life or a new beginning”.
“(It’s) like there’s a future for me, and it’s not just about surviving,” she said. “They’re the family I want to be with forever, and I know they feel the same way.”
