When Keely Baker's mother threw her out of the house for the last time, she was just 16 and had nowhere to go. She couldn't stay with the friends who had put her up after previous fights, and she and her boyfriend had to leave his sister's flat when she was evicted for rent arrears. Instead, they spent months living in sheds and garages.
"When it rained it leaked through the plastic sheet on the roof," says Keely. "I spent six hours a day sitting in there doing nothing. I used to count the hours. My boyfriend tried to go and get some metal to sell for scrap so we could buy food. We could not cook anything proper, so we just had crisps. I used to get proper depressed."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here