Sofia and Neal

Sofia* is a 23-year-old single mom to six-year-old Neal*. Sofia grew up in the foster care system and is determined to provide a more stable life for her son. She had already put in a lot of hard work to build that life for her family. Unfortunately, Sofia’s apartment was destroyed in a fire that started in a neighboring apartment. Sofia lost her possessions and faced being homeless with Neal to care for.

After seeing news coverage of the fire, Rebecca from KidsVoice immediately reached out to help Sofia assess and plan how to address the young family’s many needs. The top priorities were housing, clothing, assistance with funds and making sure that Neal quickly could replace his books and school supplies. Rebecca connected with a housing program that promptly found her new housing and arranged for Sofia to receive a new apartment kit with household goods and furniture, as well as clothes for Neal.

After Sofia settled into her new apartment, KidsVoice helped her secure assistance with paying essential bills like gas and electricity and obtain a mobile phone for her day-to-day use and to easily be in touch as additional issues arose. Rebecca enrolled Sofia in life-skills programs where participants can earn dollars. KidsVoice represented Sofia for a traffic citation, and the matter was withdrawn, meaning there was no longer a danger of her license being suspended and that she could get to work at her new job at a restaurant near her apartment.

Through the KidsVoice holiday gift drive, Rebecca made sure the young family had gifts—including warm coats—to celebrate the holidays at the end of a difficult year. Even after their misfortune, Sofia continues to provide a stable and loving home for Neal. Her resilience and determination helped make that possible, along with her willingness to work with Rebecca and KidsVoice.

There are community resources available to help former foster youth like Sofia, but it can be difficult to know where to turn—especially during an emergency. KidsVoice has years of experience in quickly and effectively assessing the needs of our older clients, providing legal advocacy to remove roadblocks to housing and employment, and connecting clients with the resources they need to make a successful transition to life after foster care. We are committed to helping our clients in any way we can, and we will continue to be there through age 29 for former foster youth who become parents as additional challenges arise. Sofia knows that Rebecca is always just a call away.

*Names and details changed for confidentiality. Included images are stock photos and do not depict actual clients.