My mum had me when she was still a teenager. It meant her older relatives got involved and took me and my sister Greta away, believing they could provide better homes and families for us. I guess what they meant by “better” was conventional.
My aunt Mary was a foster carer with a hairdressing salon in her home in Washington state, US. Her place was full of gorgeous children all the time and she often took care of me while mum went to school. I guess this was my first experience of an alternative family. My sister was successfully adopted by another aunt and uncle who couldn’t have children. Another alternative family.