Megan's Story
I didn't give up because she never gave up on me
"I still remember the day my children were removed, it felt like my whole world shattered in a single moment. Every room in my small unit felt too quiet. The grocery store became unbearable; I couldn't walk past the cereal aisle without hearing my kids' voices in my head. The shame in my community was crushing, and the meetings with caseworkers left me feeling smaller every time. I didn't know what was expected of me or how I was supposed to keep going.
Then one afternoon, my phone rang. It was Sarah who said she was a peer worker. At first, I was wary of her being just another professional but her first words felt different. She said "I'm another mum who's been through this too." That was the first time I had heard someone speak who truly understood.
Sarah didn't start with paperwork or programs. She asked me how I was coping and shared a little of her own story, just enough to let me know I wasn't alone. For the first time in months, I felt a flicker of relief.
Over the weeks, she became someone I could rely on. She called when she said she would. She met me before meetings, sat beside me, and explained the jargon no one else bothered to unpack. When I cried after family time, Sarah didn't tell me to be strong, she told me it was okay to grieve, that those feelings were normal.
Sarah helped with the small, practical things too, like organising documents and role-playing conversations so I could speak up in meetings without freezing. But what mattered most was the way I felt believed in.
I didn't give up because Sarah never gave up on me. Even when I felt like the worst mum in the world, she reminded me of the things I was doing right. She saw me as a person, not a case file.
Our relationship didn't magically restore my children. But it gave me something I hadn't had for a long time, hope. Hope that I can survive this. Hope that change is possible. And hope that I wasn't walking the path alone.”
- Megan, a parent with a child who was in foster care (name changed to protect privacy).