Youth Perspective

Kodi Baughman The importance of connection For me, it was really important to stay connected to my mom. My dad was incarcerated and out of the picture early on, so the only parent I was able to form a close bond with was my mom. My mom was the one person that had been there for me and my siblings...

Education is very important to me in order to move ahead in life. Not just get by, but to really succeed. My senior year I had to apply for colleges and make sure I was going to graduate. When it came down to clearance, I went to all my classes to make sure i was passing with at least a...

I attribute my life and success to an important provision granting Medicaid to former foster youth (FFY) until they reach age 26. Maslow proposed that if basic physiological needs like air, water, sleep, and shelter aren’t met, it can be hard to think about anything else. In my case you can add one more thing to the list of basic...

What is the epidemic of homelessness? Why does it seem it is affecting so many people? For me, it is as simple and as complicated as spending every last dollar only to bounce from couch to couch. Then, spending all my time and resources worrying about whether or not I would have somewhere to rest my head in the following...

In my childhood and early adolescence I had never had a supportive person that gave me hope or encouragement. Throughout my life I had heard horror stories of foster care. It was something I feared more than the situation I was in with my own family. The stigma of foster care scared me away from trying to reach safety. However...

This year, 2018, I was chosen to attend and represent FosterClub at Daniel Memorial’s 31st Annual National Independent Living Conference in San Antonio, Texas. During my All-Star internship, I had come to recognize Seaside, Oregon as home. It was upsetting to leave, but my choice to make an outstanding change to the lives of foster youth and alumni finally felt...