Usually, once a child in foster care turns 18 years old, they’re completely on their own – regardless of where they’re at mentally, physically, or where they are at in their education. At A Kid’s Place, we are proud to offer our Independent Living Program for kids 18-22 whom have aged out of the system, but still require the assistance and resources they need to reach their full potential. With this program, we’re able to offer these bright young minds a chance to learn, grow, and figure out how they want to navigate their adult lives in a safe, and loving environment.

We’ve seen so many of these young people find great success through this program. Most recently, our 21-year-old, Keisha. Keisha is bright young lady who is currently in college studying to be a paralegal. Recently, she applied for the Johnathan Yob Foster Care to Success Scholarship. Keisha wrote a powerful, heart-warming application about her journey in foster care and how her experiences shaped her into the young adult she is today. Her application brought us all to tears with pride.

“Foster care taught me that there is way more to life than what you are born into and that what you have gone through in life does not determine where you can go in your future. Aside from opportunity, my experience in foster care also gave me a particular core value that is now at the base of all that I do. It gave me a first-hand look at all the efforts and resources that people make so that children and young adults such as I can have a sense of normalcy and security.” -Keisha

Within a few weeks, we got the news. She received the $2,500 scholarship!!!  Keisha was able to hear her name announced at the award ceremony, walk across a stage and hold up the check with pride and a big smile as the crowd cheered for her! Moments like these are so special and remind us how grateful we are that these kids, who have been through so much, are given a chance to succeed and become the outstanding adults we know they can be.

We are so proud of Keisha and so grateful for all the support our organization receives to help make dreams like this possible!