Since the time of the interviews, I have stayed in contact with several of the young people and, alongside that, social media accounts have made me a silent witness for how their lives unfold. Undoubtedly, interviewing them in a few years’ time would bring new learning. Among those who have stayed in contact, some went on to have their own children. They are each a committed parent as every child should have. Some of those who grew up in residential care since birth and who did not speak of any romantic relationships during the interview, have started relationships. One has invited me to his wedding. Some emigrated for work, something they could do since Romania became a full member of the European Union. Andi is one of them. After some initial struggles in his new country, he is now in full-time employment, providing cleaning services and earning enough to live and look after himself. His past experiences still haunt him but he has a small number of friends and a strong faith in God. He received the necessary state support to pay his rent when he could not work due to COVID-19 restrictions. For him and many others who experienced abuse in care as he did, a truth commission or some kind of restorative justice is necessary and a moral duty for Romania. Veronica also emigrated and has saved enough to buy a house (in Romania), her most important aspiration at the time of the interview. Some of those adopted internationally continue to struggle in different ways.

For me, it has been a great privilege to listen to their life stories, as they made sense of them when they were in their 20s. It is also a hope that their accounts will contribute to a better understanding of what care means to children and the many facets it has. For some, the motivation to participate in the study was a desire for change. This is how Sarah explained her reasoning for taking part: “[T] here is no change without people who are willing to talk about their experiences and even the hard things and the good things, you have to get through them in order for anything to change, like … I just feel that research is important”.