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Eight years ago, my husband Steve and I began our journey with Austin Angels. We have always believed in the mission of this organization. However, it was only within the last few years that we came to truly understand the full scope and breadth of what they are setting out to accomplish.
A little over three years ago our family became involved with a young woman and her two young children (now ages 5 and 2). This incredible and resilient woman grew up in foster care and, shockingly, lived in 37 different homes in 9 years. She is doing her darndest to support her children and be the best mother she can be, a task that is anything but easy. |
Like so many mothers of young children, she frequently needs help emotionally, spiritually, and financially, and we step in to help wherever we can. In order to offer extra support and give her a break, her oldest son will visit us at our home. We will have weekend or overnight visits with this awesome little guy and spend lots of time loving on him, laughing with him and even learning from him. Our greatest hope is to be able to provide a consistent, loving safety net for their entire family.
Unfortunately, most youth who age out of care do not receive the consistent and loving support they need. In fact, we know that a high majority of youth who age out of foster care will also have children who go into care. We are trying to help mitigate this risk, end the cycle, and change the statistics. Many youth age out of care unprepared, lacking the skills necessary for independent adult living. In this particular case, there was a lack of community support, healthy role models, and positive family engagement. This hindered her ability to develop healthy relationships.
Consistency, support, engagement, and relationship. These are CRUCIAL ingredients to reaching every single child in foster care. When children in care and the families who care for them receive these key ingredients, it radically and positively alters their course and changes the way children, youth and families experience foster care.
What would this young woman’s life be like today if she’d had these things when she was younger? Just ONE person to consistently walk alongside her while she was growing up who let her know that they believed in her and told her that she was worthy. It is heartbreaking that she didn’t have that. While we will continue to support her and her kiddos as long as we can, it is hard not to play the “what if” game. What if we had met her when she was younger, before she had her own kids? What if we could have supported her foster family so that she didn’t have to move so many times? What if we were able to support her through school? What if her foster mom had the additional resources she needed to support her?
This is what Austin Angels does. We eliminate the “what if”. We are providing consistency, support, engagement, and relationship; all of the missing ingredients that offer endless opportunities and renewed hope for children, youth, and families experiencing foster care.
As the Vice President of Austin Angels’ Board of Directors and a three-year Dare to Dream mentor, I am deeply committed to this work. With research that supports what the children, youth, and families in our programs have said, I can confidently say that we are changing the statistics. Much work has been done, but we will not stop until every child is reached.
– Mandy Teodecki
Unfortunately, most youth who age out of care do not receive the consistent and loving support they need. In fact, we know that a high majority of youth who age out of foster care will also have children who go into care. We are trying to help mitigate this risk, end the cycle, and change the statistics. Many youth age out of care unprepared, lacking the skills necessary for independent adult living. In this particular case, there was a lack of community support, healthy role models, and positive family engagement. This hindered her ability to develop healthy relationships.
Consistency, support, engagement, and relationship. These are CRUCIAL ingredients to reaching every single child in foster care. When children in care and the families who care for them receive these key ingredients, it radically and positively alters their course and changes the way children, youth and families experience foster care.
What would this young woman’s life be like today if she’d had these things when she was younger? Just ONE person to consistently walk alongside her while she was growing up who let her know that they believed in her and told her that she was worthy. It is heartbreaking that she didn’t have that. While we will continue to support her and her kiddos as long as we can, it is hard not to play the “what if” game. What if we had met her when she was younger, before she had her own kids? What if we could have supported her foster family so that she didn’t have to move so many times? What if we were able to support her through school? What if her foster mom had the additional resources she needed to support her?
This is what Austin Angels does. We eliminate the “what if”. We are providing consistency, support, engagement, and relationship; all of the missing ingredients that offer endless opportunities and renewed hope for children, youth, and families experiencing foster care.
As the Vice President of Austin Angels’ Board of Directors and a three-year Dare to Dream mentor, I am deeply committed to this work. With research that supports what the children, youth, and families in our programs have said, I can confidently say that we are changing the statistics. Much work has been done, but we will not stop until every child is reached.
– Mandy Teodecki
