Looking Back on a Childhood in Foster Care

You can also hear an interview with Shaq and Kathy here.

Shaq at 21 is a student at a university in central Ohio and on his way to a career in early childhood education. But when Kathy from ProKids first met him, he was a little boy who’d faced violence, neglect and trauma.

He and his brothers were separated, sent to foster homes, and moved around a lot. When they were reunited for an adoption, things looked brighter. But then their adoptive mother returned them to the child protection system and life was chaotic again.

Kathy and Shaq sat down with StoryCorps to reflect on his childhood, his challenges with depression and his future. These excerpts are shared here with the permission of StoryCorps.

You can listen to their conversations by clicking on the titles below.

I Just Wanted a Family

Depression Sinks In

The Shadow Passes