Three More Words

I cannot put into words the immense emotions I felt while reading this memoir. Laughter, tears, moments of shock and excitement vaguely describes the impact of such a courageous life led by the author. Grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book and hope others do as well. There is power in numbers and for people to learn of the reality of the system is a small but crucial step in the direction of reform that needs to consistently be challenged to improve as the world changes around us. Thank you, Ashley for being such a bright light in the lives of many who fight to find comfort in the dark. I hope it continues to ignite a flame of inspiration for all who read this book.

Three Little Words is a memoir about a woman named Ashley Rhodes-Courter. She experienced what life is like as a foster child. She was born to a 17 year-old girl that couldn’t take care of her in the proper way. Ashley was taken from her mother because her mother was on drugs. She barely remembers having a baby brother before she was taken away. His name was Thomas, and he apparently died in his sleep. Ashley’s mom put him in a box and buried him without telling anybody. She also had a little brother named Luke. One day the police came, arrested Ashley’s mom, and took Luke and Ashley away. They were put in different foster homes. Ashley loved her mom, and her mom loved her in a strange way. Her mom later got out of jail, but her visits to Ashley were rare. She always promised to get her back though. She was always thinking that her mom would take her back in an instant, but she never did. Ashley discovered many foster homes. Her favorite was at her grandfather’s house, not because of him, but because of his girlfriend, Adele. She was there with Luke, and they enjoyed it very much. Adele loved them with all her heart, and did what a good mother would do. She got her 2 dolls, which Ashley never wanted to let go. Eventually, she wasn’t allowed to stay at her grandfather and Adele’s house anymore. Her grandfather had been shot and couldn’t take care of the children, and Adele didn’t have the legal right to care for the children in the first place. After a few more regular foster homes that Ashley didn’t mind, she was sent to the Moss’s house. There were lots of foster kids in that house. There, she was abused. She was forced to run in the heat in Florida without water, yanked out of bed by her hair, had her face pushed into her own throw up, and not fed meals as a punishment. Her brother had hot sauce forced down his throat too. Her dolls were put in a shed, and never seen again. Whenever people would come visit, Mrs. Moss would put on an act that made everyone think she was a great foster mom. When Ashley complained to her caseworker, a man that was supposed to make sure that she was O.K., he didn’t believe her. During all of this time, her mom kept promising that Ashely would be able to live with her again. Ashley wanted to live with her so bad. But her mom wouldn’t do what the courts said that she needed to do to get her children back. She wouldn’t take the parenting classes and she kept getting arrested for drugs. She loved her children, but not enough to change. After being in foster care for 7 years in thirteen homes, Ashley moved to the Children’s Home of Tampa. There were counselors there that really cared about her. She also got a new caseworker that did what was best for Ashley. She made it so Ashely’s mom did not have any rights to her or her brother anymore. Ashley was sad, but this made it so that she could one day be adopted, and not be in foster care anymore. A couple, Phil and Gay Courter, who worked with the Children’s Home of Tampa, had been keeping an eye on Ashley for months. They considered adopting her. They gradually spent more and more time with her, and then they finally asked to adopt her. She agreed and moved in with them. They were good parents and loved her very much. Ashley wouldn’t love them back though. She was secretly afraid that they would want to return her, and she didn’t want her feelings hurt. She was extra mean to her new mom. Even though Ashley misbehaved, they loved her anyway. She finally realized that she was going to be their daughter forever. Ashely shared all of the bad things that had been done to her at the Moss’s house, and how her old caseworker didn’t ever do anything to help her. Ashley, with the help of her new parents, sued the state of Florida for not keeping her safe, and sued the Mosses for abuse. She tried to get the other foster children to sue them also, but she couldn’t ever find them. Unfortunately, Mrs. Moss put on her “super foster mom” act and Ashley lost. Ashley had always been a good student, and a great writer. Her great writing ability made it so that she could meet J.K. Rowling after winning a Harry Potter essay contest. She also gave public speeches about the problems with foster care. While she was in college, she wrote this book, Three Little Words. This book made me realize how difficult some kids’ lives are. I’ve heard of children being in foster care, but I didn’t really know what it was like. It made me sad that a child’s own mom wouldn’t take care of her. Then she’s taken from her mother, but not really taken care of, then, either. It also makes me thankful for having a family that loves and takes care of me.

The details in this book were extremely upsetting and unimaginable to know she has experienced these things. This memoir gives people a look into what it is like to be a child that gets thrown into the foster systems and passed around from place to place without being able to consider any of these placements as "home". The ending is empowering to see just how far she's come and fighting back in hopes to avoid future children going through the same experiences.

Ashley, thank you for sharing your story. All that you accomplished after everything you had been through is humbling. Looking forward to your next book.

A heart touching book about the author and what it was like growing up in foster care. The cruelty of some people is unimaginable

I couldn’t put this book down. As someone studying Family Life and Child Development, this book captures so many important themes and challenges that foster children are faced with. Really, if you want to be a more aware and empathetic person, read this book.

Heartbreaking but in a meaningful way. This story of Ashley Rhodes-Courter is important for people to learn about, especially those working in the social services system. Foster care often gets a bad rap, and unfortunately, this book shows how many (not all!) foster parents game the system to make money. But even more egregious is the social service workers and case managers that don't follow up or follow protocol. Many of them made her personal situation worse out of case overload, genuine apathy, and turning a blind eye to serious shortcomings.The book also illustrates the role of Guardian ad Litem volunteers or CASAs. I'm one and this helped me to feel like I need to take very seriously how I work for the child, digging deeper into not just what is said or reported but what ISN'T said.It's corny to say children are our future but it's true. When you have a set up where the government will pay strangers to care for children rather than assist the actual, willing parents to do so, you have a problem. Sure, some parents have proved to fail their kids but some genuinely could make a success with a little help. Instead, by going to foster care, sometimes the kids get lost in the system.This book seems slanted in no particular direction, and the pain is palpable. But it shows how valuable volunteers are to the system and how children appreciate when someone designated to help them is doing it out of a sense of community rather than a paycheck. If interested, there's much info on how to volunteer with foster kids, and you don't have to feel at odds with the foster family, but actually be a supportive influence as you speak for the child.

What a fantastic well written account of being failed by the system. Thank goodness her adoptive parents stood by her. This is a must read and a great insight into the failures of the system.

Great read, once you start it is hard to leave it down. Hard to believe these things happened but as a true story it makes you think , very sad also

Good if sad read

Great value for money and arrived swiftly

Totally amazing, I am a foster carer myself and it gives you a great sense of feeling of what our kids go through. So sad that a lot of kids go through this. Excellent book and so well written, could not put it down