Halley Miller, age 19, spent 6 months in Michigan’s Child Welfare system.
Halley entered care at 16, where she experienced two foster home placements. The initial home was a terrible experience for her and her siblings - where she questions if they were even certified to be a foster home. The second placement was a better experience where she felt supported. One of his biggest struggles was the communication between her and her caseworker. Halley didn’t let her experience get the best of her - becoming the first in her family to past the 9th grade and graduating high school.
Halley’s drive and ambition fueled her to get active in the local foster care community and use her voice to create change, joining with Michigan’s Youth Opportunities Initiative, where she currently holds a leadership role as the president. MYOI is a non-profit organization for youth who’ve been in the foster care system over the ages of 14. This program teaches youth how to be better prepared successful young adults in our community. Besides being very active in her community, she creates quality time with her family, where they enjoy watching movies and playing family games.
Halley aspires to one day be the first one in her family to graduate college and open a boarding school for youth in the system - where they will be given the opportunity to live on campus with safe living conditions and healthy food options.
Halley Miller hopes her story can ignite a spark to create, not only statewide, but a national change in the foster care system. She wants youth to know “We all have stories to share with good and bad experiences, either way, own your story and use it to help others - potentially preventing future failures in the foster care system.”
