I spent almost 18 years in foster care — the service did me no favours

Content mother of three tells of a very different beginning in the story of her almost 18 years in foster care

Nearly 18 years in foster care left little Sadie Harpur with a sad but heartening story to tell. Now she has told that story in a book: 'The Hidden World of a Foster-Girl'.

Mon, 30 Sep, 2024 - 07:37

Helen O’Callaghan

Nobody told Sadie Harpur who was born first – she or her twin sister, Kizzy. But growing up with their foster-family — with whom they were placed before they were even a year old — the girls felt Sadie was the first arrival.

“We always knew it was me. Kizzy said she was sick of me and pushed me out!” Later, as a young adult reading her birth files, Sadie discovered they’d been right. This deep knowing, without even knowing how she knew, happened again when she was invited to the birthday party of a school friend who lived in a children’s home.