Tennessee

Allyssa 18, Tennessee’s Foster Care System Allyssa's time in care was rocky, with multiple placements in kinship care and congregate care. Alyssa is now adopted and is happy to have found permanence. She is beyond excited to serve on her state youth board and enjoys volunteering at her community Humane... Read more

Lelia Almaraz-Romo, 19, Tennessee’s Foster Care System Lelia entered care at 14 and aged out at 18. She experienced 3 foster homes and 2 congregate care homes. In 2014-2015, she volunteered with a soup kitchen and assisted with organizing food at a church greeting people at the door when they... Read more

Reagan Dodson has been in care for 2 years in Tennessee’s Child Welfare system. Reagan describes being separated from her mom shortly after moving to Tennessee as “heartbreaking”. In spite of placements that were sometimes hard and sometimes helpful, she is proud of having graduated from high school with a... Read more

Elisabeth Burke has spent 7 years in foster care in New Jersey and 2 years in Tennessee. She is currently in extended care. Elisabeth experienced multiple placements in two states. She credits some families she stayed with as helping her to build appropriate relationships. Placement in extended care is helping... Read more

Robert Taylor was in care for 8 years in Tennessee’s Child welfare system. Robert reports that he and his siblings had some hard experiences in care, including a failed adoption and sibling separation. After entering extended care, he was able to graduate from High School and is proud to have... Read more

Lannette Harris, started in the foster system at the age of sixteen, but was under different guardianship at the age of fourteen in the state of Tennessee. Lannette, cared for by her basketball coach, was able to stay in school and received many scholarships for college. Although there was a... Read more

Destiny Sweeney has been in the foster care system in both New Mexico and Tennessee since the age of six. Destiny then aged out and became apart of the extension program. Destiny is close to graduating from college and is managing a Sprint store. She has been involved in the... Read more

Years in care: 5 Tamara Milford was placed into care after the death of her mother in 2012, at the age of 15, in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Tamara stayed in a single parent foster home until 2015. She was then placed into another foster home and adopted a... Read more