Foster Care Success Story: Foster Youth Thrives with SDYS Foster Care Family

San Diego Youth Services is doing foster care differently. Our resource families receive one-on-one support so that they can provide safe, stable and healing home environments for children who have experienced neglect and abuse. And we're happy to announce that in January of this year, school-aged Jack found a home with one of our new resource families!

Prior to this placement, Jack was passed from foster home to foster home including the Polinski Children’s Center. He is extremely bright, friendly, energetic, insightful, social and articulate. However, due to past traumas, he's had trouble with emotional self-regulation and redirection by adults during his young years in unstable home environments.

Now in a stable home environment, Jack is quickly making progress toward a new normal, one that is free of abuse and trauma. His new resource parents support him in every way and are committed to meeting his needs and growing with him. Additionally, San Diego Youth Services case managers are continuing to provide support for Jack and his new family during this adjustment period. It speaks volumes that in such a short time Jack has begun to learn new ways to cope and handle triggers associated with his past traumas!

Jack is happy in the home and has been welcomed into the family with open arms. He's shared with his case manager that he really likes his new home.

His new family has taken him on shopping trips, meals out, and special fun days including playing with children at the park, They've made sure to get his medical and dental check-ups up-to-date, and have bought him new clothing, toys, bedding, books and special therapeutic items like pillows that promote sensory wellness. Jack was enrolled in his community school and is attending an afterschool program on campus with his school peers and support staff.

We're so happy to see this dramatic change in Jack's wellbeing. Resource families have the power to improve a child's life in very real ways, and we cannot thank his resource family enough for their support!

To learn more about foster care, visit sdyouthservices.org/foster