We have 10 youth in college! College, when you are a foster kid is a miracle. It isnāt the same as all of these other kids who just go to college because itās expected that you go to college. These kids are doing hard things under hard circumstances. And that is absent of the layer of Covid, which makes things 100x harder. I am so proud of each of them.
Because they are doing hard things and have no one to call when they get in a jam, I become the problem solver. Saturday morning and Iām running to Walmart to get a phone card because one of my gals is out of data on her phone. Generally, not an emergency for most kids-even most of our kids. For her-itās a lifeline to communicating, getting meals, and everything else. My only disappointment is that I went to Target and they did not have them so I had to go into the dreaded Walmart.
Iāve put text books, dorm deposits, phone cards, and groceries on my credit card. (All later reimbursed by my county)
Iāve spent so many hours sorting financial aid packages over the last few weeks. We keep working the problems until we have a solution.
I respond to kids in the evening and on the weekend. I send check in texts so they know someone is thinking about them.
This turned down a different direction than I had intended-but since Iām here. Older teens, teens who are going to college, teens who are living in independent living programs, all of them, need a reliable, supportive adult. They need you. You can be that for a teen/young adult in foster care. Be the place they go on Christmas or Thanksgiving. It can be formal or it can be informal. Iām sure these kids would love to be calling and texting someone else besides me-because as Iāve been told many times, Iām just not that cool. š¤£
