California

John Paul spent ten years in the foster care system, living in seven foster homes and eight group homes. During his time in care he was a member of California Youth Connection, where he served as the Kern County Chapter President and layout editor of the organization's statewide publication, EMPOWER!... Read more

Ralph was placed in foster care at the age of four. After 4 placements, he stayed with a family who became his parents after they attained legal guardianship in 1996. Ralph has been Chairman of the Striving Black Brothers Coalition, President of the Black Student Union at Chabot College and... Read more

Sherina was given up for adoption at the age of 18 months. She was adopted, but at the age of 8 the adoption dissolved. Sherina was then moved nine times over the next three years until the age of 11. She stayed in this home until the age of 18,... Read more

After spending years in the foster care system, Jennifer was reunited with her biological mother at the age of 17. Prior to that, she had not lived with her mother since the age of 5. As a result of her background Jennifer has decided to dedicate much of her time... Read more

Withelma, aka “T” has been in countless foster and group homes. T entered the foster care system as a baby and aged out the system when she turned eighteen. She lost connection with her siblings early on and one of her sisters passed away during her time in care. T... Read more

Tammy is an emancipated foster youth from Northern California who entered the foster care system at age 9. She was in 20 placements between the age of 9 and 18. Tammy aspires to attend college and is considering a career in law. Always a strong advocate for youth rights, she... Read more

Kevin West was in and out of the foster care system from the time he was born until 18, when he transitioned from care. “I lived in 5 foster homes, 2 group homes, spent time in shelters, juvenile hall, and mental health facilities until I left my last group home... Read more

"One difficult challenge I had to face during my foster care experience was feeling invisible." Jessica, despite having been in foster care for most of her childhood with time in the juvenile justice system, has been able to overcome and is an outstanding young leader. What defines Jessica as an... Read more

When Chio emancipated from foster care at age 18, he lived in a homeless shelter for more than six months before coming to First Place for Youth, a non-profit organization that houses emancipated foster youth. He is a member of EYAB, where he works both on a team and individually... Read more

RaMieya was in foster care for 11-12 years. She has lost count of how many placements she was in but it was approximately 9-10 placements. RaMieya invests her time, energy, and leadership skills into young teenage girls. She connects with teenagers in the South Sacramento area through her local church... Read more