April 11, 2025
In this op-ed, a former foster youth talks about being “shuffled between different homes and facilities where psychotropic drugs were the norm.”
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I entered the foster care system at a young age, moving many times. My experience was nothing short of a nightmare. I was told that no one loved or wanted me. Without the nurturing environment and stability that a child needs to thrive, I sank deeper into hopelessness and depression, which caused me to act out. Unfortunately, instead of getting the counseling and nurturing I needed, those responsible for my care decided my behavior required multiple doses of powerful drugs, as many as five at a time. This included the antipsychotic Abilify, which made me shake involuntarily; and Strattera, a medication prescribed for ADHD, which I do not have, that has awful side effects like nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and suicidal thoughts.
When you’re in the foster system, it’s easy to feel like you’re an inconvenient problem rather than someone who deserves support and love. Far too often, as I experienced, if a kid is acting out or causing trouble, the response is psychotropic drugs — medications used to control behavior rather than address the underlying trauma a kid is living with.
I was shuffled between different homes and facilities where psychotropic drugs were the norm. Rarely was I asked how I was feeling, what people could do to help, or if I wanted to take the medication. Instead, these powerful drugs were given to me as a cure-all — and without proper supervision or meaningful evaluation. To make matters worse, the effects of these medications are not temporary; I still deal with related health problems, along with enduring feelings of loneliness and isolation.
An estimated 26% of youth take at least one psychotropic drug while in the foster system, according to Children’s Rights, a nonprofit aimed at protecting children’s civil rights and keeping families together. According to the organization, these drugs are often administered without proper informed consent prior to their use.
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Psychotropic drugs do have a place in treating mental health issues, but they should only be administered after the necessary protections and oversight are put in place to ensure it is a safe option for the child, with approval from the child, their caregiver, and a medical professional. The reality is that most youth in foster systems are not consulted about their own treatments, forcing them to bear the related physical and emotional trauma for years — or a lifetime.
We cannot allow this to continue. I was a named plaintiff in an historic class action lawsuit in Missouri that now ensures children in the state’s foster system are only administered psychotropic drugs when it is safe and necessary. This legal victory sets an example I hope other states will follow.
Those in charge of state foster systems can begin by limiting the use of psychotropic drugs to situations where it’s truly necessary. Rather than prescribing a pill to keep us quiet, these leaders must listen to us and invest in systems that prioritize the mental health and emotional well-being of children. Young people in systems need trauma-informed care, therapy, and stable environments to provide them with a safe space to heal.
I lost my innocence and my childhood to the foster system, but I will not let this be the end of my story. I will continue fighting so others do not suffer like I did. By sharing my experience, I hope to spark a much-needed conversation about overmedication and abuse in the foster system and the urgent need for change.
Khi’Marria Richardson is an advocate for children’s rights and was a named plaintiff in the 2017 lawsuit brought on behalf of children in the Missouri foster care system. She currently lives in Memphis, Tennessee, and is pursuing a human services and resources degree to help kids and young adults in the foster system.