Successful foster kids: Chris Tait

Adapted from The Vancouver Sun
Level 3

Chris Tait lived in foster care from the age of one. Tait is 22 years old now. He is an aboriginal youth.

He lived in one foster home until he was 13 years old. His five brothers and sisters lived with him.

At age 13, Tait moved to a new foster home. He was in grade eight. He left his
family, friends and familiar school.

“It really wasn’t a good time for anybody. I was separated from my friends and my whole old life. It was pretty wild actually.”

He lived in about 30 different foster homes until he was 17.

At age 17, he got a job and left school. He was in grade 11.

Visit the WCR links

• Read the first article in the series, “Foster care and education in BC”
• Read the third article in the series, “Successful foster kids: Bayleigh Marie”.

 

Today he is going to Vancouver Community College. He wants to go to film school.

Tait volunteers to help youth in foster care. In 2012, he received a Royal Bank of Canada Youth Achievement Award for his work.

He spoke at a session on foster children at the 2014 Gathering Our Voices conference. Gathering Our Voices is an annual aboriginal youth conference. This year it was held in March in Vancouver.

Tait is involved with the Adoptive Families Association of BC. The association started a group called the Speak Out Youth Group. Tait volunteers and speaks about his experiences.

He is a member of the Vancouver Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee.

“I think that youth in care who are successful are people who have permanent connections or even a team behind them,” says Tait.