Learning from others' lived experiences

This past weekend I had the privilege of being on a panel at a symposium hosted by MARE—the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange. MARE exists to support children and families connected to adoption and foster care, and it was an honor to be included as one of those resources.

While it was meaningful to present alongside other incredible organizations, what stayed with me most was hearing directly from adults who had been in foster care themselves. Some are now foster parents, some have adopted children out of foster care, and others work as social workers serving youth who are currently in the system. Their lived experiences brought a depth and urgency to the conversation that I found deeply inspiring and motivating.

One woman’s story was especially powerful. She spent ten years in foster care as a child and ultimately became homeless after aging out of the system. Today, she fosters four children—two of whom are siblings she is in the process of adopting. To endure such a horrific experience in the foster care system and still have the empathy and determination to create a safe home for others is an extraordinary display of courage and heart.

Her story made me pause and think about the teenagers in our own program who are currently in foster care. I don’t always know whether their cases are moving toward reunification or adoption, but I can imagine the uncertainty—and fear—they may feel about the future.

We may be an academic program, but I firmly believe in our power to make a difference. Education matters. Education can change someone’s trajectory. A student might be failing classes and considering dropping out, but with a consistent adult and academic mentor who believes in them, that same student might push through, earn a high school diploma, and access opportunities (whether through work or continued education) that once felt out of reach.

I can’t possibly capture everything that I learned from this symposium, but I walked away with a renewed sense of responsibility. These young people need our belief in their potential, our compassion during an incredibly difficult chapter of their lives, and our commitment to doing more. “More” will look different for each of us, but I left confident that everyone in the room was asking the same question: How can I better show up for youth in foster care?

It starts with believing that we can—so they begin to believe that they can, too.