Wow, that stinks DAL that your own family undermined your Big Brothers/Sisters volunteer interview by disparaging your character. Of course that's why you failed the interview: your family lied about you b/c you were strong enough to geographically and emotionally separate yourself from their poisonous grasp.

If you really want to foster children as a single mom you can do it. You can use other people to act as character references whom you know will validate you great character to the right social services people in charge. Toxic families are definitely poison to people like us in my thread, who deserve to lead happy, healthy, fulfilled lives. We just can't do that if we include these toxic family members in our lives.

I know this intellectually...now I just need to get my emotional state of mind to catch up so I can let go, grieve the loss of my toxic family and stop talking the big talk and do something about it. Being alone at 51 without any family will be scary but I have to do it. It will force me to find my "tribe." I'm tired of not pursuing the life I wanted to have 30 years ago. Right?!