NOTE - The youth's names have been changed and images withheld for their privacy and protection because they are still in foster care awaiting permanence. Through their stories, though, their identities and personalities are as vivid as their futures are bright. August 2023 My name is Epiphany Grace. I’m 15 years old and in the 7 th grade. In my free time I enjoy listening to worship songs and Zack Bryan. I play volleyball and softball (catcher, third, second and outfield) but it’s just a hobby. I came into foster care in December of 2022 because I was living with my sister who relapsed and because I missed a lot of school. Also, she was mentally and physically abusive to me. My mother is in Shreveport and my dad is in Kentucky. I do not want to live with them. If I had to rate my foster care experience, it has been good for me because my foster mom supports me. She was my science teacher, and she shows she cares about me. Actions speak louder than words. Foster care showed me a schedule and that there are other people out there who have been through things and it's not just me. The one bad thing about it is not having social media, but it’s probably a good thing. I needed it to be away from me, but I didn’t want it to be. I’m in therapy, where I get direction when I don’t know how to handle a problem. If I needed help, one person I could go to is my foster mom because she supports me in all of my ideas. I could also call on my DCFS case manager. I love her. She is the best I could ever have because she goes with the child’s best interest and puts my decision out there. June 2024 At a moment, I wanted to go back to the way I was living, not because I liked the situation but because I was never used to being stable and I’m not great with change. I’m so happy I stuck through my feelings and let God move in mysterious ways. I’m now adopted and love where I am so, therefore, wait and see what God has planned. Epiphany Grace’s Comments on her Banding Day June 17, 2024 Wow! This is just amazing. This feels weird but so relieving. I’m so excited for the future and what God has planned. I’m so grateful for Mrs. Leslie! She is a miracle from God. Without her none of this would be possible. It was a wait, but so worth it. You have done so much for all these kids/people who have been through the worst. I’m so blessed to have this happen to me. Banding Day Thoughts - A Foster Parent's Perspective Jenny – Epiphany Grace’s Foster Parent What a phenomenal program Fostering Hope Louisiana and Mrs. Lacy is. Little did I know that working in an orthodontic office at 18 years old would give me patience. Fast forward 23 years and I have been blessed with a foster child in desperate need of orthodontic care, not just for vanity’s sake, but also a dental need. However, when you say yes to the call, how do you afford it all. The short answer is, you don’t and that’s where Fostering Hope Louisiana has filled the gap and carried our foster child and us through this transition. The wait [for braces] was long but it allowed others to fall in love with our child. Waiting was hard and seemed to be never ending, then all of a sudden, we were funded and making appointments. For me, the process has taught me love, patience, and seeing God at work not only in our lives but seeing the generosity of others. For my foster daughter, today is a dream come true. For kids in foster care, basic survival is all they can think of, so braces are a pipe dream. Seeing her shed tears of joy because 1. She finally isn’t receiving empty and broken promises, and 2. the ONE thing that has given her so much insecurity is finally no longer going to stop her from truly smiling and so much radiant brightness. I can never say enough great things about this program and all it has done, is doing and will continue to do in the future. The best is yet to come! IT IS WORTH THE WAIT!!!  Epiphany Grace - Hindsight July 2024 Before I got my braces, I was impatient and always second guessed if I was ever going to get them. Mrs. Lacy did, in fact, guarantee that I was going to get them but there was always a thought in my head, “something is going to go wrong, and you won’t get them.” But I had hope. I always texted and checked in with her on how everything was going. When the day came to get them, I was so excited. The first ten days were the worst, but now everything is well. I’m so grateful that I just waited. Epiphany Grace's Thoughts on Therapy July 2024 Therapy! At first, I DID NOT want to go at AT ALL. I always said that I didn’t need or want it. I never wanted to go. In the room with my therapist, I always would watch the clock waiting for her to say, “Okay, you made it.” Now that I accepted the fact that I have to go to therapy, it’s been an amazing thing for me. I didn’t have a choice when it came to going to therapy. IT also majorly depends on your therapist. If you don’t like them, you will NOT like therapy. I love mine and now I look forward to it, so just keep giving it a try and see what good benefits it can bring you.

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.