My name is Annabeth. I’m 14 years old and in the 8th grade. In my spare time I like to be alone and listen to NEONI. I taught myself how to draw and shade. I know why I came into foster care, but I don’t want to talk about it. Chelsey (foster mom) is the adult I could go to for help. I don’t know who else I could call. THOUGHTS FROM ANNABETH'S FOSTER MOM: As a foster parent, finding resources to help care for the kids is often very difficult for many reasons like insurance not covering certain things or them getting put on the “back burner” for other kids who have “commercial” insurance. I had been looking for ways everywhere we go to help them get everything they need to succeed in life after a rough start. I saw the ad for this program on a billboard and after exhausting every option, I reached out to Ms. Leslie to see if we qualified. The classes were super fun for the kids, and I think they enjoyed seeing kids in similar situations. Watching them sitting in the chairs after their journeys to get here, it warms my heart to see them get to be taken care of so well and to get to watch their teeth and insecurities get straightened out to help not only their health but their self-confidence. Myself and the kids are so grateful to this program to have them make these kids feel good about themselves and feel included and treated like other kids [who] are not in care like they are. A parent’s big “AHA” moment is when their kids can feel comfortable and included and I think this program did that and more for my two.

My name is Benjamin. I am 13 years old and in the 7th grade. I would like braces because I just wish my teeth would look better and I know braces will help that. There’s a chip tooth that I want to get fixed. Once I get braces, I think I’m going to be pretty confident. When I finish high school, my main job I’m wanting is programming. I’m a big fan of tech and I’m very imaginative. In my free time I just like to think. I like the woods. For some reason I like that more than the city. I came into foster care because my mom wasn’t in a very good place and we used to live in a van and travelled a lot. I’ve been in care for 2.5 years. I lived in a respite home for a week and I was in a home in Baton Rouge for a year. If I had to rate my foster care experience, I would say that it’s been good. I get to see new places and meet new people. It’s made my life better because it’s an improvement from living in a van and travelling all the time. The adult I could go to for help, if I could, I would say is my mom. I can’t go to her right now because she’s three states down. I could go to Chelsey [foster mom] because she is very supportive. Thoughts from Benjamin's Foster Mom As a foster parent, finding resources to help care for the kids is often very difficult for many reasons like insurance not covering certain things or them getting put on the “back burner” for other kids who have “commercial” insurance. I had been looking for ways everywhere we go to help them get everything they need to succeed in life after a rough start. I saw the ad for this program on a billboard and after exhausting every option, I reached out to Ms. Leslie to see if we qualified.  The classes were super fun for the kids, and I think they enjoyed seeing kids in similar situations. Watching them sitting in the chairs after their journeys to get here, it warms my heart to see them get to be taken care of so well and to get to watch their teeth and insecurities get straightened out to help not only their health but their self-confidence. Myself and the kids are so grateful to this program to have them make these kids feel good about themselves and feel included and treated like other kids [who] are not in care like they are. A parent’s big “AHA” moment is when their kids can feel comfortable and included and I think this program did that and more for my two.