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By EMILY REED | Special to the Reporter

ALABASTER – Alabaster resident Keisha Jackson recently wrote her first book to provide a voice for children going through the foster care system.

“The book is about one little girl’s path to permanency through the foster care system,” Jackson said. “It shows the good and bad of a child in the system. I wanted to shine the light on how the kids feel. I have worked with so many kids who have told me they feel worthless, thrown away, and unloved. I wanted them to have a voice, and I hope this book helps them find that.”

The book: “Trash: A Foster Care Journey,” started out as a poem, which Jackson wrote after a very frustrating week at her job as a social worker.

“The little girl in the book is not based on one child, but many that I have worked with over the years,” Jackson said.  “In writing the story, I began to think about other issues that kids deal with, that adults have issues discussing with them. Kids are smarter and more intuitive than we give them credit for. I hope the book will help start the tough conversations that need to happen about how children really experience foster care.”

While this is Jackson’s first book, she has plans to write five additional books.

Book two is completed and currently in the editing phase, Jackson said.

A book launch for her first book will take place in July, and a reading and signing has been set for June 28 with Alabama Baptist Children’s Home for the members of the agency.

“My prayer is this book will open eyes about what foster care is,” Jackson said. “I hope it will open the hearts of people who have considered fostering but may not feel like they have something to contribute. Most of all, I hope every child who reads it, especially those in foster care, will know that their life is precious and that they are loved beyond measure, and they are not trash.”

Jackson said if individuals are not able to help foster a child, she encourages them to donate to a foster charity or group home.

“Reach out and see what you can do to help a family who has opened their home to a foster child,” Jackson said. “Cook a meal, offer to give the foster parents a night off. So many of these kids just want to know that someone cares. Be that someone.”

For more information about upcoming book signings, book updates or ways to purchase Jackson’s book, follow her on Instagram at Keishajackson_author.