Arrive. Endure. Age out. Three challenges in the life of a foster child.

The first few hours in foster care can last a lifetime...

Taken from their broken homes, the foster care system owned them now. From the first day, the girls faced reminders that they were discards. They saw it in the cold expressions of the housemothers, the sudden empty locker in the dorm, the look of defeat when a girl lost a hastily made ally. The older ones felt it when rejected by foster parents. They were a risk to the dream of family. They longed to leave, but feared the ordeal of yet another place called home. This became the world of eleven-year-old Sue Pickering the day she was deposited in the Susquehanna Valley Orphanage.

“An articulate, painful, and touching journey that ends with an against-the-odds victory.” -  Kirkus Reviews

Aging out of foster care without mentoring is like a broken promise...

A memoir in the young girl's voice, Another Place Called Home is about surviving in the youth foster care system, an almost invisible population of more than 400,000 children. Each child faces an uncertain horizon. Those who never find placement with a family will "age out" of the system, another jarring transition. They lose financial support, have no place to live, no job, trouble obtaining education and have no adult to guide them. Another Place Called Home portrays their search for strength, dignity and the desperate need for mentoring.

Endorsements...

“Another Place Called Home is a rich, moving beautiful memoir important for all readers who care about children.” Pat Schneider, Writing Alone and with Others and How the Light Gets In

“Every young person enduring hardships should read this inspirational book. Anyone aspiring to improve troubled youth’s lives will benefit and gain fresh insight.” Charlene Setlow, Sponsor/Advocate, American Association of University Women (STEM)

An excerpt from the author’s Preface to the book...

In town, we heard the whispers, “They’re from the Home.” 

I wrote Sue’s story in the first person... Her narrative also suggests how chaotic adolescence is when there’s no parent. As some research suggests, without a close adult to help reminisce and interpret events, life is especially episodic. In the Home, we were merely what happened to us.

The story told in Another Place Called Home is real. Susan DuMond lived at the Susquehanna Valley Children's Home for six years. She arrived at age eleven and aged out at eighteen.

Susan holds a BA in Liberal Arts/Theatre from Bennington College in Vermont and a PhD from the University of Oregon in Educational Policy and Management. As a technical writer and information designer, Susan has written, edited, published and collaborated on more than 25 books.

Published stories include "The Visit," one of the top-ten memoirs to appear in Fish Anthology 2013 (Fish Publishing, Ireland) and "Lucille's Shoes," a finalist in a WOW-WomenOnWriting flash fiction contest. Recently published is "Life Interrupted" in Fear and Courage (Exisle Publishing, New Zealand).

The author was one of the fortunate foster care kids. She hopes her story will help increase awareness of foster care youth and their needs, particularly those who are aging out.