In early September, we received a call from Seth, a 17-year-old foster youth experiencing homelessness. He remembered that Child Advocates of Silicon Valley was a resource for foster kids like him. Seeking help with housing, food, and other resources, he reached out to us. Our staff worked quickly to give him full access to our Store, a dedicated room filled with new clothing, toiletries and activities for our foster children, supplied him with groceries and mobilized a team to begin accessing services for him.
Seth informed us that he had stopped responding to his Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), but had enjoyed spending time with him, and he wanted to be reconnected. The CASA was excited to hear from Seth and quickly re-engaged with him. Their reconnection couldn’t have been timelier.
Seth knew he had an important Court hearing two days away. Nearing his 18th birthday, Seth was facing a fork in the road – age out of the system at 18 and lose vital resources, or continue on as a non-minor dependent of the Court and continue to receive the much-needed support Child Advocates and other agencies provide.
Fortunately for Seth, he now has a CASA by his side and chose to continue receiving support. Seth’s CASA advocated for him to stay in the dependency system as a non-minor dependent. Seth is now connected with a network of agencies supporting his success.
The generous support of our donors and volunteers enables us to be there for foster children, like Seth, when they need us most. Become an Advocate Donor today by making a donation.
Disclaimer: Some details about the foster teen have been altered in an effort to keep his identity anonymous.