I'm in the foster care system, and theyre sending me places?

I've had the most horrible experience being in foster care. I've been from group home to hospital over and over again. When I turned 15 they started putting me in foster homes... most of which were dirty. There was roaches in one and I had to share one bedroom with four other girls.
I started running away and instead of the system realizing they're putting me in terrible places, they told me I was "troubled" and "uncontrolable".
I turned 18 in April, and now I'm pregnant. This wonderful foster care system that they still wont let me leave is sending me to ANOTHER bad place for "pregnant teenagers." I just dont know what to do. It's in a bad area, and I dont want to be there... but everyone thinks I just dont know whats best.
How do I get it across to my social worker and judge that I don't want to live in these crappy sh*tholes they're putting me in and I deserve to be treated with respect?
I dont care what anyone says... the foster care system in CA hides a lot of the bad things.

I lived in a grouphome for 2 and a half years.I agree that the CAS hides alot of things.The best thing you can do is move in with a friend and get a job or move out alone.
By the way you are not a troubled,uncontrollable person,you've just been through alot.Don't let anyone bring you down.

You are an adult now and can do pretty much what you want to do. What you have to figure out is how are you going to take care of your child?? Do you have any training that would enable you to get a job with enough money to support you and the child? IF you are discharged from the system how will you take care of yourself? If you don't like the home that you're in maybe you should become proactive and find a place that will help train you and allow you to keep the baby with you if that's what you want. There are several issues that you have to think about and the most important one is how are you going to take care of you child if you don't have a job or an apartment? Even if you applied for public housing it takes a while sometimes years to get an acceptance what would you do in the mean time? Have you thought of applying for Public Assistance and housing on your own? You need to start to make some adult decisions and if you want them to listen to you than you have to act like you're an adult and that means having a real plan and some things in motion. That would help them to believe that you really know what you're doing otherwise how would they know that you're responsible enough to be on your own.? Just talking about it means nothing if you don't have any concerte proof that you know what you're doing.

The foster care system in this country is broken and I feel for you. The problem is, you have demonstrated behavior that didn't show them the problem, but created more.

I would recommend that you write a letter to the Director of Social Services, the judge and your social worker explaining your fears. Contact your state representative and state senator and even the governor. When those letters go unanswered, write more. It has been my experience that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

I am a former social services worker and I helped a lot of kids get into better places. When you write your letters, include dates, names and specific incidents to help demonstrate your point. Find an adult you trust and enlist their help in writing the letters so they are grammatically correct and eloquent. At some point, someone will hear you and take action. If no one else will listen, contact the local television station and enlist the aid of their ombudsman.

I do care and I wish you the very best of luck.

Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry this is happening to you. I know that the foster system can be really crappy and that it does hide a lot of things. Is there not anyway you can get an advocate, such as a community support worker or a case manager? Do you receive medicaid (b/c that would pay for it). I'm not sure how you can sign up for it in your state, but in mine you can find out through mental health, they can find them for you. No, you don't have to be crazy to get one. But they can stand up for your rights and advocate on your behalf when you are being mistreated. They can also get the law on whoevers *** it needs to be on. I receive services from a community support team, and they have advocated on my half lots of times, making threats to DSS, my landlord (for not repairing things), the district attorney (I was in no condition to stand trial against the person I had pressed charges on) my OBGYN (we're actually filing a complaint with the medical board and Better Business Beauru), plus other things. In situations where people wont listen to you, these people will stand up for you and get something done. I hope you can find someone to advocate on your behalf. I'm so sorry you are going through this... it's unfair. I wish I had better advice. Good luck.

I'm not sure about California, but in Michigan, when you're 18 you're an adult, responsible for your own actions. Why won't they let you leave the system? Talk to the social worker and ask what your choices are. Yes, you should be treated with respect. I'm sorry you have had to experience the horrifying conditions and now, with being pregnant, you need to consider what's best for you and the baby. Ask lots of questions and find out if there's some other place you can find safe, healthy haven. Best of luck.