Famous Care Leavers Who Changed the World
Nov 28, 2025
As we reach the end of Care Leavers’ Month, it is increasingly clear that more support is desperately needed across the board. However, what is also clear is the perseverance and determination of care leavers, unwilling to let their circumstances define their futures.
Growing up in care can bring instability, uncertainty, and challenges that few people truly understand. Yet history is filled with individuals who began their lives in foster care, children’s homes or adoptive placements and still rose to extraordinary heights. Their stories serve as powerful reminders that a difficult beginning does not define a person’s future – here’s just a handful!
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe spent much of her childhood in and out of foster homes due to her mother’s mental health struggles. Despite a turbulent upbringing, she became one of the most recognisable film stars in history.
Goldie
Goldie grew up in care in the West Midlands. He is now a world famous DJ and was one of the pioneers of drum ‘n’ bass, as well as branching into acting.
Neil Morrissey
British actor Neil Morrissey grew up in children’s homes in Staffordshire. He has since become an outspoken advocate for improving the care system, using his platform to speak honestly about his experiences and the importance of supporting care-experienced young people.
Seal
Seal is a world famous singer and was the most popular soul artist of the 1990s. He was privately fostered until the age of four. You’ve definitely heard Kiss From A Rose.
Kriss Akabusi
Separated from his family at a young age, Kriss Akabusi and his brother spent time in UK children’s homes. He would later become an Olympic medallist and one of Britain’s best-known athletes. Akabusi now works as a motivational speaker, openly discussing resilience, identity, and the role that positive adult figures played in his journey.
Lemn Sissay
Lemn Sissay spent his entire childhood in the care system in the North of England, moving between foster placements and children’s homes without meaningful knowledge of his own family. Despite this, he built a remarkable career as a poet, broadcaster and chancellor of the University of Manchester. His memoir My Name Is Why has become a defining text on the UK care experience.
Barry Keoghan
The BAFTA winning actor’s mother experienced drug addiction and died when he was 12.[6] Along with his brother, Barry spent seven years in foster care across 13 foster homes, before being raised by their grandmother, aunt, and older sister.
Every Care Leaver Is A Success Story
These individuals succeeded not because of their time in care, but despite the many challenges it presented. Their achievements remind us that early hardship does not define a life and that no human being is worth giving up on. Each young person in care deserves our support, because each one of them will, in their own way, change the world.
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