A woman who was moved into care as a teenager has said she "had to reach a psychotic episode" before anyone took her mental health seriously.
Georgia, who was moved around between foster and children's homes, said her mental health was "already terrible", including self harm, before going into care aged 14.
Campaigners and politicians said children in care, or with care experience, should get priority access to mental health services with research saying they were four times more likely to face mental health difficulties compared to other peers.
The Welsh government said it has published a new 10-year mental health and wellbeing strategy to ensure that everyone can access the right support.
Georgia said: "It got to the point where I basically had to have a psychotic episode before anyone could go 'oh, you are actually serious when you say your mental health is going downhill'.
"The self-harming got worse, more regular.
"I feel like in the care system you have to do quite a lot to get any sort of attention."
