I had bounced between schools, placements, and unstable environments for years. Like many young people in foster care, I struggled to imagine a future bigger than the chaos around me. Most adults saw risk. Very few saw potential.Eventually, I started to build something better. I was offered an opportunity out of state that gave me structure, work, and a real path forward. It was the first productive plan I had ever made for my life.
CONSTITUTIONAL WIN FOR CHRISTIAN FOSTER PARENTS CHIPS AWAY AT ASSAULT ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
But crossing state lines created problems with my placement and benefits under the foster care system. Instead of helping me navigate the transition, my caseworker attempted to push me out of care entirely, stripping away the protections and support I was entitled to receive. Overnight, the future I had started building nearly collapsed. I was facing homelessness and the possibility of losing everything I had worked toward.
Because I grew up in Pennsylvania, I had access to legal representation as a foster youth. A public defender stepped in, filed an appeal, and fought for me. We won. I was reinstated into care and given another chance to build my future. That intervention changed my life.
