Ohio Reach has expanded to 57 schools and now supports nearly 400 students

As foster care challenges grow, Ohio Reach opens pathways to higher education
Javari Burnett, Spectrum News, Nov. 17, 2025.

What You Need To Know:

• Winstead is a recent Ohio Reach scholar 
• Ohio Reach is a statewide initiative that supports foster care connected students as they pursue higher education
• The program has expanded to 57 institutions and now supports nearly 400 students

CINCINNATI — When Brooke Winstead crossed the stage to receive her bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati, the moment marked more than a personal achievement. It was the culmination of a difficult journey that began when she entered Ohio’s foster care system at 16.

Winstead, now a recent graduate in urban studies, said she spent years navigating instability after losing her grandmother, who had been her primary caregiver.“I had to kind of grow up fast. Faster than some of my peers,” she said.

By 18, she had moved into an independent living program, and after aging out of foster care at 21, she experienced homelessness and struggled with depression.“Not having parents made me more of a hungry person to go after my goals,” she said. “I became more determined.”

Her path shifted when she connected with Ohio Reach, a statewide initiative that supports young adults with foster care experience as they pursue higher education. The program provides mentorship, financial support and guidance at colleges and universities with a post-secondary designation. Each school involved also designates a campus liaison. 

“It really signifies that they believe that foster care–connected students belong on their campus, that their histories are understood, and that their paths are very supported,” said Susan Ballard, programs director at the Ohio Children’s Alliance.

Ohio REACH has expanded to 57 institutions and now supports nearly 400 students, Ballard said.

With many former foster youth disproportionately facing housing instability and mental health needs, she said the network’s services can be pivotal.

“The retention rate of students being able to remain in higher education continues to trend upward,” she added.

The need for programs like Ohio Reach is underscored by national data: more than 300,000 children enter foster care in the United States every year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Ohio alone sees more than 15,000 children in foster care annually. 

For Winstead, that support paid off. She was recently accepted into a master’s degree program with a full-ride scholarship and is preparing to earn a real estate certificate.

It’s progress she once doubted was possible. “I’m able to showcase that these opportunities can happen,” she said.

Unintended Consequences of a Proposed Ohio Bill

Child sex abuse prevention advocates worried about proposed Ohio parental notification bill
Morgan Trau, Ohio Capital Journal, Nov. 19, 2025. 

Ohio violence prevention advocates worry that teens who have been sexually abused would have to get parental consent to get emergency and temporary mental health services under proposed legislation.

Some of the most heinous crimes have the most vulnerable victims.

“I’ve responded to child sexual abuse victims at 2 a.m. in the hospital,” said Emily Gemar, with the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence. “I’ve held their hand throughout the night.”

Thousands of kids in Ohio are sexually abused per year, she said. State data shows the majority of all reported sexual assaults happened to children under 18.

But many cases go unreported, Gemar said.

“It takes some time to build trust with that counselor, that mental health provider, to allow for a setting where somebody feels like they can disclose what’s happened to them,” she said.

And she was thrilled when Gov. Mike DeWine expanded his crisis mental health program. When a child calls the 9-8-8 hotline, they get emergency access to support — free of charge.

The program also lets teens 14 and older get temporary help, including six weeks of counseling, without consent from a parent or guardian.

Gemar said that’s important in sex abuse cases.

“We know that anywhere from 35% to 93% of child victims, one, knew their perpetrator, and, two, that perpetrator was a parent or caregiver,” she said.

But grandfather and conservative activist John Stover said the program keeps families in the dark.

“There is no situation whereby a parent should not be notified that their 14-year-old is dealing with mental health issues,” Stover, who runs the organization Ohio Value Voters, said.

Some Republican state lawmakers agree with him.

Ohio House Bill 172, sponsored by state Rep. Johnathan Newman, R-Troy, would require parental approval for minors to get the temporary support. It repeals the current state law allowing for this care.

“We should all want to see students who suffer with mental health struggles receive the help they need,” Newman wrote in his testimony for the bill’s first hearing.

“This bill seeks to do that, maintaining that the students’ parents cannot be left out of the picture because the parents are the child’s authority and most important and essential part of the student’s recovery.”

His bill is meant to mirror language from the last General Assembly’s H.B. 8, legislation requiring schools to notify parents if the child identifies as LGBTQ+ or has a mental health issue.

“You cannot have two unique programs where parents are notified under one circumstance if it’s in the school, and they’re not notified if it’s another circumstance outside the school,” Stover said.

Stover said the bill wouldn’t stop abusers from being caught. He said mandatory reporting requirements would go into effect — mental health professionals would have to tell police, who would then investigate the parents.

“There is no argument there,” Stover said.

But Gemar warns cases don’t always work like that.

“If a 14-year-old is being raped by a parent, they would have to ask the parent who is raping them for consent to go see a clinician,” Gemar said.

“There could be punishment, there could be threats or more physical or sexual abuse that occurs because of that.”

If the bill becomes law, she said, that is a door closed for teens to be able to safely seek help.

The Ohio Domestic Violence Network is expected to testify against the legislation, along with Gemar, this week.

The Ohio Newsroom reports on Mohican Young Star Academy

A year into new ownership, violence still plagues Ohio’s largest youth treatment center
Kendall Crawford, The Ohio Newsroom, Nov. 18, 2025. 

Mohican Young Star Academy, a youth residential treatment facility an hour northeast of Columbus, Ohio, is surrounded by a state forest.

Several years ago, the state tried to shut down the Mohican Young Star Academy over frequent 911 calls, runaways and the use of restraints in the 110-bed Perrysville facility.

Those efforts failed. But even after a year of new ownership, problems persist at the rural facility, which houses children with behavioral and mental health problems.

Brittany Hailer investigated the rising violence at the facility and efforts to address it in her reporting for The Marshall Project in Cleveland.

She sat down for an interview with The Ohio Newsroom.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

On the nature of the Mohican Young Star Academy

“This is the largest licensed facility in the state of Ohio. We learned that kids are brought into these facilities through different avenues. It can be through the foster care system. It can be that a juvenile judge is sending them there as a part of treatment after they intersect with the justice system. But these are children with very high needs. Whether it's a behavioral need or a mental health need, they're often coming from a traumatic background of some kind, and they are getting placed in a facility like this in order to rehabilitate or address those behavioral and mental health issues.”

On what inspection reports and body camera footage revealed

“We found that the facility itself could not contain violence without police intervention. Children were hitting each other, hitting staff, hitting teachers, staff were also hitting children. On April 4th, we discovered the largest kind of outbreak of violence. I interviewed staff who had described prior instances where kids would get in arguments or get in scuffles or whatever, but nothing like this, where the entire campus had kind of erupted into something that they could no longer contain.”

“Kids were climbing over walls into other rooms. They were free to move across campus. They were picking up rocks and things. You have kids as young as maybe 11 and then kids as old as 18. Some of those older kids are six feet [tall]. Some have a criminal background, some are just there because there aren't foster families who are equipped to take a kid like that. And they're all in one place. And it seems like the folks who are running [the facility] are not able to contain it.”

On what local law enforcement say 

“When I had started reporting on this story, I noticed that the state had attempted to shut this facility down twice. And during that time, the Ashland County Sheriff also gave up jurisdiction and said, ‘We're not doing this anymore.’ So I called the Ashland County Sheriff, who is a different sheriff, Kurt Schneider, and he said, ‘Look, we don't have jurisdiction, but we're down there two, three times a week still. We're still exhausted, we're still looking for kids in the woods.’ He was the one who was like, 'Things have gotten worse. Things are worse under this new leadership.’”

“After I talked to him, then I got a phone call from the Loudonville police chief. Then I got a call from the fire chief. And each of them were saying, 'Look, we're running out there. We are the first responders and we are so worried about the kids. Not only are we exhausted, we have limited resources. Every time we get pulled into this massive forest, we're not protecting the town. And it's not just one little call. It's everyone having to go and try and contain and de-escalate the violence inside that the staff don't seem to have a handle on.'”

“From there, it snowballed into staff calling me, neighbors calling me, an entire community really coming together and saying, ‘What's going on in the woods? We're really worried.’”

On what additional oversight is needed

“The oversight part of it is complicated. Like many states, we have different institutions, different parts of government that are all connected to facilities like these. Each county in Ohio has a children services placement agency. We have two state agencies that have different responsibilities. And, even as a journalist, trying to sort out those different moving parts took me quite a long time.”

“I spoke with Scott Britton with the Public Children's Services Association of Ohio. And what he pointed out is that caseworkers are saying all the time that they've never seen this level of trauma in youth before. And that there aren't enough employees in Ohio to do this kind of work. And the training is an issue. So it's kind of like a multi-part thing. And it's not clear at what point do you shut a place down?”

On the facility’s response

“We tried so hard to get the facility to talk to us. I sent multiple letters. I called the nonprofit that the owners also run separately. I called their cell phones. I finally eventually got Marquel Brewer on the phone and he just told us ‘We're not gonna comment.’”

“I do want to point out though, in state records, [the facility] said that they may need to rethink the types of clients they admit. Noting that, if they did that though, it would force more children out of state and tremendously increase the cost to Medicaid and Ohio taxpayers.”

Toledo Blade reports on Mohican Young Star Academy

Juvenile court reconsiders placement at youth treatment center after recent reports of fighting
Alex Bracken, Toledo Blade, Nov. 21, 2025. 

Lucas County’s juvenile court is reconsidering its relationship with an Ashland County youth treatment center after being made aware of recent reporting that detailed fights inside the facility.

The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization focusing on criminal justice, detailed five clashes between children at Mohican Young Star Academy since November, 2024. The most severe of those incidents occurred in April, when a fight in a classroom began rippling across the campus, involved more than a dozen students, and injured students and teachers.

Ohio’s Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, reviewing footage of the incident, found 18 areas of noncompliance at the facility. Mohican Young Star Academy did not respond to a request for comment.

County commissioners unanimously approved the contract with Mohican at their meeting Tuesday, allowing up to $150,000 of an Ohio Department of Youth Services grant to be used for placements at the facility.

The juvenile court’s administrator, Said Orra, said via email on Thursday that the court had placed a youth at the facility two weeks prior, but that “we have just become aware today of recent issues with Mohican in recent news articles and are considering alternative placement options for that youth.”

While the facility is currently licensed to operate, the Ohio attorney general in 2021 sought to remove its owners after “investigators determined that there was present danger to the health and safety of the youth residing at Mohican.” It has since changed ownership, but recent incidents have revived concerns over management’s handling of fights.

Before approving the resolution, Commissioner Anita Lopez asked in what situations juvenile court judges utilize the facilities, and Commissioner Pete Gerken asked if there were any similar facilities in the county.

“I always worry about the separation. Troubled youth can’t be separated from their families entirely; there’s a travel barrier if you take them across the state or to the south,” Commissioner Pete Gerken said.

Emily Simpson, the juvenile court’s general counsel, presented the contract at the meeting and said that Mohican Young Star Academy offers intensive treatment options that are sometimes determined to be necessary.

“I just know that [Mohican] services specific needs, so you have to balance keeping [children] away from their families with getting the support that they need. I know that the treatment programs are generally between six and 12 months,” Ms. Simpson said.

According to its website, Mohican Young Star Academy provides 6-12 month residential programs for mental health treatment, juvenile sex offenders, and drug and alcohol treatment.

County administration deferred to Mr. Orra for more information about the contract immediately following the meeting and made a similar statement deferring to the court on Thursday.

The court places youth at Mohican Young Star Academy “if there are no local facilities available to meet the placement needs of the youth,” Mr. Orra said via email. 

Mr. Orra said the court was notified of the attorney general’s legal action in 2021 but said it has not had issues with the facility. The juvenile court previously contracted with the facility from 2016 to 2019, and its most recent one-year contract was approved Tuesday but effective since July.

The juvenile court manages the county’s 32-bed youth treatment center, the pretrial juvenile detention center, and a nonresidential community treatment center, according to its website. 

Jordan Deaton's artwork recognized and chosen

Northmont Board recognizes senior’s artwork
The Register-Herald, July 1, 2025.

ENGLEWOOD — At the June 23 meeting of the Northmont Board of Education at the Northmont Administrative Offices, 1150 W. National Rd., the spotlight was on senior Jordan Deaton, recipient of the 2025 Senior Art Award.

Each year, the board purchases one outstanding piece of student artwork to hang in the Northmont Administrative Offices—a tradition that dates back to 1979. This year, Jordan’s remarkable charcoal rendering of a lion was selected.

Board President Linda Blum praised the piece as “impressive and awesome,” noting its powerful detail and artistic quality. Jordan was joined by his foster parents and siblings as he received the honor.

Message from Montgomery County Commissioners

The Montgomery County Board of County Commissioners is proud to recognize two outstanding members of Children Services honored at this year’s Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO) conference in Columbus.

🏆 Jordan received the Leader of Tomorrow Award, the third straight year a Montgomery County youth has earned this statewide honor. Jordan graduated from high school with honors in just 21 months, rose to Chief Petty Officer in Naval JROTC and now advocates for foster youth as Vice President of the Montgomery County Youth Advisory Board.

🏆 Elizabeth Rainer was named Caseworker of the Year for her compassion and commitment to children and families, going above and beyond to ensure every child feels safe, valued and supported.

Congratulations to Jordan, Liz and the entire Children Services team for representing Montgomery County with excellence! 👏

Jordan Deaton, 2025 PCSAO Leader of Tomorrow

When Jordan entered foster care as a teenager, he faced significant challenges and instability. Refusing to be defined by his circumstances, Jordan has become a leader and a voice for change while serving as a protector and mentor for his three younger siblings.

Education quickly became Jordan’s anchor. Determined to chart his own future, he set the goal of finishing high school in less than two years. Through extraordinary discipline, he graduated with honors in just 21 months. At the same time, he found a second home in the Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, where he rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer, was recognized as a Distinguished Cadet, and helped his unit earn Distinguished Unit honors through volunteer service. He also received awards for academics, competed in drill meets, donated blood to help others, and even won a school art competition.

In addition to his own achievements, Jordan has worked tirelessly to uplift others. As Vice President of the Montgomery County Youth Advisory Board and an honorary member of the Ohio State Youth Advisory Board, he advocates for improvements to foster care policy. He represented his county at the National Independent Living Association and Daniel Memorial Conference, where he led workshops for youth from across the country. His advocacy is both bold and compassionate, driven by a belief that no young person should feel voiceless or forgotten.

Today, Jordan is recognized by his teachers, caseworkers, and community as someone who leads with humility, integrity, and heart. His journey shows how resilience can grow into leadership and how hardship can be transformed into hope.

Jeffery Chesser, Child Protection Support Advocate of the Year

LCCS worker named Child Protection Support Advocate of the Year
WTVG Staff, Oct. 3, 2025.

An employee with Lucas County Children Services received a statewide honor Friday for his work with teens going through the foster system. Jeffrey Chesser, an Independent Living Youth Advocate , was named Child Protection Support Advocate of the Year by the Public Children Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO).

Chesser received the award at the organization’s annual conference, held in Columbus. His duties at LCCS include supporting teens ages 14 to 18 who are likely to emancipate from foster care without family connections. 

Below are more details about this award, from PCSAO: 

The 2025 Support Advocate of the Year was presented to someone whose compassion has changed the lives of some of our most vulnerable youth: Jeffery Chesser of Lucas County Children Services.

An eight-year veteran of his agency, he stepped into a new role as an Independent Living Youth Advocate in 2022. In this role, he works with young people over the age of 14—youth who often face the reality that they may not return to their families and instead will transition into adulthood on their own. These are some of the most challenging cases—youth who carry deep trauma, who are rightfully angry, and who often lack the support systems they need. He does not shy away from the challenge, but embraces it with compassion, patience, and a fierce belief in every young person’s potential.

Our awardee comes in early, stays late, and even comes back from vacation when a youth needs him. He shows up at court hearings, school activities, award ceremonies, and therapy sessions—sometimes when the assigned caseworker cannot be there. He is the one driving youth across the state to attend Youth Advisory Board meetings so that their voices can be heard at the state level. And in doing all this, he ensures that no young person ever feels forgotten or overlooked.

But his advocacy is more than just showing up—it’s about changing lives in real, practical ways. When one young man was struggling in school, our honoree challenged him to raise his grades above a C average. He made the deal personal: if the youth succeeded, he would buy him the sneakers he’d been dreaming of. The youth rose to the challenge. That moment became more than new shoes—it became proof to the young man that someone believed in him.

In another example, when a youth with sensory challenges was nervous about attending the agency’s graduation celebration, our awardee went out of his way to walk him through the event in advance, easing his fears. On the day of the celebration, he gave the young person noise-canceling headphones—just in case. Because of his care and presence, the youth was able to stay, celebrate, and be honored alongside his peers.

Our awardee mentors teen fathers, teaching them the importance of being present in their children’s lives. He works with young men struggling with anger, often because of domestic violence in their homes, showing them by example that a man can be strong and also kind, patient, and gentle.

And when crisis strikes, he does not turn away. One winter, when a youth with severe mental health needs ran away in sub-zero weather without adequate clothing, this worker could have said, “It’s not my case” or “It’s after hours.” Instead, he went searching for the young man himself—because his safety mattered more. Months later, during another crisis, he again dropped everything to be by that youth’s side, offering stability and care in a moment when it was needed most.

Today’s honoree doesn’t do this for recognition—he does it because he cares with his whole heart. As one colleague said, “What I appreciate most … is his consistent willingness to help others and prioritize their needs above his own. Whether it’s visiting youth in the hospital, supporting a colleague, or even picking up lunch for his entire unit, [he] demonstrates compassion and selflessness in everything he does.”

For his unwavering dedication, his mentorship, his compassion, and his refusal to give up on any young person, PCSAO recognized Jeffrey Chesser of Lucas County Children Services as PCSAO’s 2025 Child Protection Support Advocate of the Year.

Richland County foster youth receives a free car

Car dealer gifts car to emancipated foster youth who has been biking to work
Greg Kahl, WMFD, May 29, 2025. 

The last time we introduced you to Mary, an emancipated foster youth from Richland County, she was biking, walking, or hitching rides to work. A 40-minute commute in the wee hours of the morning. Her shift ran from 3:00 a.m. until 8:00 a.m., and it wasn't on the safest road, State Route 13. 

Craig Underwood, a local businessman and owner of New Haven Auto Sales, decided to take action. On Wednesday, he gave her a car.

"Anybody who could go through what she went through and still persevere, you have to help those people," said Underwood. "It touched my heart, and I had the means to help, so I thought, why not me? I will just take care of it for her."

Mary received the car at Richland County Children Services surrounded by the caseworkers and staff who supported her through her journey in foster care. Mary previously told WMFD, "If you believe in a God or any higher purpose that helps too, that's what got me through; it was hard."

Upon receiving her car, in disbelief, Mary said, "Hold on, I got to pray real quick, thank you (with a sigh)."

"That said, I did the right thing and I helped a really deserving young lady," Underwood said. "I think the sky is the limit for her."

Michelle Miller, Executive Director of the Richland County Youth & Family Council, said these are the connections that emancipated foster youth need to springboard them into success.

"Many youth who are transitioning out of the foster care system don't have access to a vehicle because typically they leave at 18, and they don't have that parental support after 18," Miller said. "Having a business provide a vehicle for a youth who aged out of foster care is phenomenal. It helps set them up for success to eliminate their chances of becoming homeless, job insecure, or drug use." 

Mary was excited about the roll-down windows in the 2014 Jeep Patriot 4X4. She took us on her first test drive around the parking lot.

Mary Stephan, Mary's independent living caseworker, said she had to trick Mary into coming to the agency with a "let's go out for coffee" fib, and she is proud of Mary's determination and work ethic.

"And that is what these kids need, is community support, and those resources are valuable, so it will be a relationship she will probably have for a long time," Stephan said.

Richland County foster youth pedals toward her future

Foster youth's story of grit, strength, and hope inspires crowd at panel discussion
Logan Gray Kahl, WMFD, May 15, 2025. 

MANSFIELD, OH - As "traditional families" prepare for their students' graduation parties and for them to get ready to spread their wings and fly out of the nest, there are children right here in Richland County who have never had that experience with no nest to come back to, and that first jump is a leap of faith.

Mary remembers praying to God while in foster care. "If you believe in a God or any higher purpose, that helps too, that's what got me through, like, cause it was hard," explains Mary, now 20, of her foster care experience of being separated from her siblings.

The statistics are not promising.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, 25 per­cent of youth who had been in fos­ter care at age 17 and sur­veyed at age 21 said that they had been home­less at some point in the last two years. 

Mary, who was a foster youth emancipated from Richland County, Ohio, falls into that category. She told a crowd of people in Eisenhower Hall at The Ohio State University at Mansfield campus that she was homeless for a year on the streets of Cleveland.

The foster care system seeks to prepare teenagers with independent living skills, like how to cook, how to manage finances, and finding an apartment, but then crickets. After supporting and tracking the child's every move, the system ends.

The Richland County Youth and Family Council, in collaboration with Richland County Children Services, hosted a pivotal event titled "Aging Out of the Foster Care System... What Now?" on Friday, May 9, 2025, at The Ohio State University at Mansfield campus.

The forum touched on the challenges faced by youth transitioning out of the foster care system and explored ways the community can offer support for their successful transition into adulthood. By the end of the riveting stories from the panel guests, the moderator said it felt like more a call to action.

More of Mary's Story

Mary found her way back to Mansfield and reconnected with Mary Stephan, who was her independent living caseworker at Richland County Children Services and was referred to the Bridges program through the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services.

"Imagine they don't have the parents, you know, we are their parents, and once Bridges gets involved, we kind of step back, so we need community partners to get stuff alongside them and walk beside them and help them and be there, like be parents for them," explained Stephan having experienced a period in foster care herself.

Mary commutes to work on her bicycle every day, a 40-minute round trip. She said she has learned to support herself and love herself, that you can't always rely on everybody.

"I ride my bike to work. I don't have a car," Mary said. "I don't have none of that because my parents didn't help me out, they couldn't, they were too reliant on the government themselves, so me having to do it for myself, it's not only a little bit embarrassing but it's also inspiring because one day when I have kids - my kids aren't going to have to go through that. It's going to build character."

Michelle Miller, Executive Director of the Richland County Youth & Family Council, is a former foster youth who navigated the system firsthand. She was the first in her family to receive a college education. She now leads Richland County's efforts to provide collaborative services to youth and families.

"Every year, about 1,000 youth 'age out' of the foster care system in the state of Ohio. About 3 percent of those youth will be able to obtain a college degree, and 37 percent of those youth will end up incarcerated," Miller said.

There is no doubt that Mary is a 3 percenter. She is an aspiring artist and lyricist who plans to release her first project on August 20, 2025, when she turns 21. She told WMFD on that date, "the system" will no longer see her as a child. She wants to prove she is an accomplished young woman and a survivor. No doubt she will.

"No matter what happened to me, I'm always going to love life. The challenges are definitely what I strive for," Mary.

Chasing Hope House in Stark County

Chasing Hope House aims to help youth aging out of foster care in Stark County
Grace Springer, Canton Repository, August 13, 2025.

Mikala Reynolds spent five months of her junior year at McKinley High School living at the YWCA women's shelter in downtown Canton.

Reynolds, who worked at McDonald's, had lived with family members prior to becoming homeless. She lived with an aunt in Canton and then with her sister in Miami, Ohio. But soon after moving in, her sister became pregnant. Reynolds couldn't stay. So, she returned to Canton.

"The system failed me," Reynolds said. "After that, I was homeless. It was really bad. I was house hopping, going to friend's houses, trying to figure out where to live. I was taken by one of my friend's moms to the homeless shelter."

Recently, Reynolds moved to an apartment in Canton with a housing voucher from the YWCA. In part, she was helped by Chasing Hope House, a nonprofit that started in July 2024. Its founder and executive director, Chais Ross-Medal, has big plans for helping more teens like Reynolds.

Chasing Hope House is in the process of getting its independent living license from the Ohio Department of Children & Youth. Ross-Medal said it will be the first facility of its kind in the state.

The program will accept teens aging out of foster care or facing housing instability and will be staffed 24 hours a day by mentors. The goal is for youth 16 to 18 to start preparing for their futures and learning to be independent.

But that doesn't mean there won't be time for regular teen things, like prom, high school football games and senior pictures, said LaMonica Jackson-Young, director of operations. "A lot of them are missing out on those things," she said. "We want to assist them in being teenagers while adding to basic life skills."

About 1,000 kids exit foster care at 18 or older each year in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Children & Youth.

Chasing Hope House Executive Director Chais Ross-Medal talks about plans for the nonprofit.

Ross-Medal grew up around foster kids. Her aunt, Ida Ross-Freeman, was a longtime community activist and respite parent. Ross-Freeman was trusted by the kids she cared for and created lasting relationships.

"In the end of her life, a lot of kids were still coming to her," Ross-Medal said. "She was 76, so it was sad. She wanted to still help, but she couldn't."

Her mom was also in the foster care system and was emancipated at 16. "I come from a foster kid," Ross-Medal said. "So, I kind of have a passion for it from the beginning."

Since then, Ross-Medal has become a foster parent and has spent time learning the system. Ross-Medal got her cosmetology license in 2011 and has worked in the health insurance industry for the past 10 years. Alongside her professional career, she's also a commercial model with Pro-Model & Talent Management (PMTM).

She believes the nonprofit will help fill a gap in the community. "I've seen a need," she said. "There is a need for teenagers, for stability, for life skills, for mentorship and just for shelter."

Independent living residential program to start in 2026

Chasing Hope House is already providing supportive services to teens in the community. Staff at McKinley High School have connected them to youth in need. The nonprofit will continue to offer non-residential services such as mentorship and life skills support to youth 14 to 19. The residential independent living program will build on that foundation for teens 16 to 18 aging out of foster care.

"We want it to be an intimate and supportive community," Ross-Medal said.

The independent living program is expected to start with a pilot program utilizing apartments in downtown Canton at Crossroads United Methodist Church owned by nonprofit Canton For All People. Chasing Hope House is also working with Canton For All People to build three duplexes in the Shorb neighborhood. 

The nonprofit is still looking for a larger building to house youth. Chasing Hope House is in the final stage of the state licensing process. The final steps are confirming policies and procedures and getting the building. Independent living settings provide life skills and a semi-supervised approach which differentiates them from other residential care facilities, according to a spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Children & Youth.

The residential program is expected to start in January 2026 or earlier, as soon as the license is approved.

Chasing Hope House is also in the process of getting its state license for a drop-in shelter for youth 14 to 17 facing homelessness or in crisis situations. Its anticipated opening is fall 2026 and the shelter will serve youth not in state custody.

So far, the nonprofit received a grant from the Ohio Department of Children & Youth for a program to support young moms and dads 14 to 20 and funding from Republic Services.

'Our youth need those supports.'

Stark County youth in the foster care system are often placed in foster homes and group homes outside the county, as far as Toledo, Dayton and Cincinnati. That makes it more difficult for them to establish a routine and visit with family members.

Sarah Goins, supervisor at Stark County Children Services, said there is a need for more options for youth, particularly close to home.

"There are some really good programs that are geared towards preparing them for adulthood, working on those independent living skills, giving them opportunities to get jobs. ... (We) don't have enough of it, and we don't have anything here in our community," she said. "Our youth need those supports."

The county starts to provide independent living services at age 14 for youth in foster care. That program focuses on providing opportunities and helping them plan for their future.

The Bridges program is also available for youth after they emancipate until they turn 21. That provides ongoing monthly support, including financial help.

The county helps connect youth to housing options and provides some funding to start. There are also Section 8 housing vouchers available to youth aging out of foster care.

But housing continues to be the biggest need.

"We need housing resources," Goins said. "We know in our community that we're struggling with affordable housing, and imagine how much more difficult that is for someone who is 18 and just starting out."

Youth also need consistent support and help in maintaining their homes.

"They need flexibility. They need second chances and sometimes third chances," Goins said. "And they need time. A lot of our young people need more time to have experiences and practice adulthood, but they're already in it."

Goins said she looks forward to Chasing Hope House opening its residential living program. "It'll be helpful for us to have a resource and good people in the community that we can trust that are going to look out for our youth," she said.

Mikala Reynolds moves to new home, prepares for future

Now that she's settled into her new home, Reynolds is looking forward to her senior year and what comes after. "I'm ready to get that high school diploma," she said.

She just got her temporary permit and is learning to drive.

Reynolds is planning to go to college to study business. She loves to braid hair and dreams of owning a small chain of salons in the future. "I always just wanted to make people look good," she said. And she attends church every Sunday at 365 Alive Ministries.

Chasing Hope House has continued to help her along the way.

"Even though I don't have parents in my life, I can always go to Chais and Moni about something," Reynolds said. "I cherish that. I've never had nobody in my life that's actually going to stay by my side and be here for me."

Lucas County graduates with a foster care history

17 local teens graduate high school, age out of foster care system
Alexis Means, 13 Action News, June 5, 2025.

They’ve overcome adversity, defied the odds, and now they are stepping into adulthood. 17 local teens are not only graduating from high school, they’re also aging out of the foster care system.

A  celebration to mark their resilience and the beginning of a brand new chapter. Each horn was to celebrate the accomplishments and dreams of 17 kids in foster care who graduated. A parade took place this afternoon around Lucas County Children Services.

“I told myself a lot of times along the way that I can do it. That I can make it and I eventually got here,” said Trevan Brown. 17-year-old Traven brown graduated from Start High School and plans to attend Owens Community College to pursue welding.

“It’s just something about it. I just love it. It’s really hands-on,” said Brown. The teens said getting to this point hasn’t been easy.

These kids experience more barriers than any other high school student due to the foster care system, but they still made it.

“I actually really came a long way. I wasn’t supposed to graduate this year. So, it really means a lot to me. I push through and I did what I had to do and it was many sleepless nights just up to schoolwork, but I definitely knew I had to get to that point and follow my dreams,” said Nevaeh Wessel.

Lucas County Children Services held a party for the youth. The teens were gifted various items to help with their transition to adulthood.

18-year-old Nevaeh Wessel is proud to be a part of the class of 2025. “I was falling behind really bad. I was letting everything get in the way of school. I couldn’t be no fluky,” said Wessel. She buckled down and got back on track.

Now she’s headed to cosmetology school and has some advice for other kids in care. “Just chase your dreams, do what you have to do to get your point. You gone get there you just got to keep your mind set and you have to want it more than anybody,” said Wessel.

They also took a limo ride to Love and Luggage, which is a non-profit that helps kids who are aging out of foster care.

Hamilton County graduates with a foster care history

Graduation ceremony honors dozens of foster youths in Hamilton County
Daisy Kershaw, WLWT5, June 5, 2025. 

Hamilton County celebrated high school graduates who have overcome major obstacles to earn their diploma. A total of 87 foster kids were honored in a special ceremony Thursday night.

Among them was Tamirah Yisrael, who spoke at the graduation.

"This is our moment, now get out there and make it count," Yisrael said as she stood on that stage addressing her peers.

She lost her mom at a young age; her father died during her senior year. "Me walking across the stage, it wasn't only for me, it was for them too," Yisrael said.

Each and every graduate has had to overcome adversity to achieve this.

Former graduate Alana Johnson knows firsthand how hard these students have had to work. She was there Thursday, cheering them on and offering these graduates resources and tools for their future.

In 2024, when she was a graduate, she said she wanted to be a social worker. A year later, she's just finished her first year at UC studying social work and psychology.

"I actually pursued what I wanted to pursue and now I am here helping other foster youth do the same thing," Johnson said, smiling ear to ear.

For these graduates, this night is not just about where they've been. It's about where they're going.

"This day really means a lot to me," said Damon Hensley. Hensley graduated from Dater Gilbert High School and plans to attend nursing school.

North College Hill High School graduate, KC Trosper, said she never thought she'd be here accepting her diploma. She dropped out of high school, but returned, finishing four years' worth of work in a single year. "I'm most excited to go to college to get a bachelor's degree and starting a better life for myself," Trosper said.

She's heading to Bowling Green in the fall to study criminal justice.

"Foster kid is just a word, it doesn't stop you from doing anything," said Trosper, reflecting on her experience, "That shouldn't stop you from being who you are and reaching your full potential."

In the U.S., more than half of foster youth never finish high school.

Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services has been holding this ceremony for 26 years, and this is the biggest graduating class yet.

Ohio's 579 Graduates in Foster Care This Year

Ohio Departments of Children and Youth and Education and Workforce Celebrate 579 Graduates in Foster Care this Year

May 30, 2025

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) are proud to recognize and celebrate the educational accomplishments of 579 young people in foster care who have graduated from high school or earned their High School Equivalency Diplomas (formerly known as a GED) in 2025. 

These inspiring graduates, supported by county Public Children Services Agencies (PCSAs), Title IV-E courts, and the Ohio Department of Youth Services, have overcome significant challenges and demonstrated incredible resilience on their path to success. This year’s total represents an increase of 87 graduates compared to 2024. 

“Graduating from high school is a tremendous achievement for any student, especially for those who have grown up in foster care,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “We are proud of each and every graduate and look forward to seeing all they will accomplish.” 

“Graduation is a major milestone, which reflects years of perseverance, strength, and commitment," said Kara Wente, director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth. "These young people's success is a testament not only to their dedication but also to the supportive adults and systems that walked alongside them.” 

DEW also emphasized the importance of ensuring that all students, regardless of circumstance, have a clear and supported path to educational success. 

“This achievement is the result of each student's determination, hard work, and focus, marking not only a milestone achieved but a future full of possibilities,” said Stephen D. Dackin, director of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. “Every student in Ohio deserves the opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential. We are proud of these graduates, celebrate them, and recognize the educators, schools, and agencies who supported them in achieving this incredible goal.” 

DCY and DEW remain committed to strengthening Ohio’s education and children services, ensuring every student, regardless of their background, has the tools and support to succeed.

Gongwer Article: Foster child scholarship pitched for budget inclusion

Foster child scholarship pitched for budget inclusion
Gongwer News Service-Ohio, Friday, May 16, 2025

Advocates are pushing for placement of a long-discussed plan to provide financial aid to former foster children in the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 state operating budget.

Adam Hassan, a former foster child and Columbus State Community College student, urged the Senate Higher Education Committee on Thursday to include legislation (SB 13 ) establishing the Foster-to College Scholarship program in the spending outline (HB 96 ).

Hassan said he has seen students with similar backgrounds pause their education for long stretches of time or abandon it shortly before attaining a degree based on a lack of financial resources and family support.

"As someone who is a foster care alumni and is engaged with the foster care community, I am a firsthand witness to the variety of struggles that we face when seeking to better ourselves and our futures through higher academia," he said. "Financial security is a crucial component for foster care alumni."

The legislation backed for budget inclusion, which is being sponsored by Sen. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) for the second consecutive session, includes a $7.5 million annual appropriation for the scholarship program.

Awards from the financial aid program would be available to Ohio residents who have been accepted at an institution of higher education and who were placed in foster or noncertified kinship care on or after their 13th birthday.

Reynolds' bill (SB 182 of 2023) received three hearings last session, while a House companion measure (HB 164 of 2023) cleared that body before stalling in the upper chamber. Rep. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) is again leading companion legislation (HB 25 ) in the House this session.

Kim Eckhart said Connecticut has been offering scholarships for foster youth since 1968 and paid for her mother to attend Marietta College. She said the last dollar financial aid program – meaning one intended to cover the gap between the full cost of higher education and existing federal and state scholarships – would not be exorbitantly expensive for the state.

"This is not as costly as it sounds because there is already a patchwork of aid available to students from federal, state and private sources," she said. "Tuition waivers knit together this patchwork so that students do not have to navigate complex financial aid processes on their own."

Asked by Sen. Bill Reineke (R-Tiffin) whether the scholarship could be used for housing, Eckhart said it could be used for room and board and other expenses beyond tuition.

Eckhart said Reynolds has been helping advocates of the scholarship draft budget language when asked by Sen. Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield) if they have a proposed amendment to offer.

Sen. Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati) questioned whether creating a new scholarship program for foster youth when some policymakers have been focused on eliminating financial aid for "separate groups of people."

Eckhart said she has saved over the years to provide for her child's college education. "I would say that the state can also do that as well," she said, noting foster children are considered "wards of the state."

Ingram said the state needs to do a better job ensuring foster youth are aware of the existing resources available to them in the years approaching emancipation. "It's the system that needs to be fixed, too," she said.

Eckhart said advocates of the scholarship heard similar concerns in the House, adding that SB16 would require the Department of Higher Education to facilitate the employment of four full-time foster care student navigators to help direct individuals to available forms of aid.

*Gabriella Craft, who was not quoted in the article, is a foster care alumna who has helped former foster youth navigate higher education at Columbus State Community College and The Ohio State University.

Article by Andy Dowling in Matter News

 

Foster youths aim to break the cycle

Adam Hassan will join other current and former foster youths this week in a Statehouse Advocacy Day aimed at pushing for legislation such as the Foster-to-College Scholarship Act, which would create a higher education scholarship fund to cover existing tuition gaps.

BY ANDY DOWNING ● COMMUNITY ● MAY 14, 2025

Lisa Dickson (left) and Adam Hassan

Adam Hassan wore out the soles of his shoes walking countless miles to and from classes at Columbus State Community College over the last couple of years.

“I used to walk around five miles to Columbus State, and then five miles back,” said Hassan, 20, who finally saved up enough to purchase a 2016 Nissan Altima two months ago. “And I did this four days a week, sometimes five. And if I had class at 9 a.m., I had to be up at 6:30 so I could get ready and begin walking. And sometimes my classes would end at 9 p.m., and I’d have to walk back home at night through downtown Columbus.”

Hassan, who grew up in the foster care system, said his daily treks were done out of necessity, dictated by a strict budget that left him with little financial flexibility. Most months, his food budget would be capped at $250, and he said he hasn’t gone shopping for new clothes the entire time he’s been in college, directing most of the money he earned working at Kroger to cover rent on his apartment and those education-related costs that fell outside of the grants he received, in addition to saving slowly for a car. Living under these restrictions, even modest unexpected bills could send him reeling, such as the time his financial aid didn’t cover one of the college courses required of his business major, forcing him to pay out of pocket.

“And that set me back quite a while,” said Hassan, who will take part in a Statehouse Advocacy Day organized by ACTION Ohio (Alumni of Care Together Improving Outcomes Now) on Thursday, May 15, during which current and former foster youths will lobby lawmakers in support of a number of foster-centered causes. These include the proposed Foster-to-College Scholarship Act, which would create a scholarship fund to cover tuition, fees, and other education expenses not covered by existing federal or state financial aid. The program would be available to any Ohioan who was in foster care beyond age 13.

This legislation would serve as welcome relief to someone like Hassan, whose financial challenges are magnified by those gaps that exist between current available loans and the actual costs associated with attending college. “When I think about what it may do for me, where I don’t have to worry about tuition, I can spend more time studying, I can better afford transportation,” he said. “A lot of people in my situation, they have to take gaps, and they may wait a year or two to [save up and] cover the costs [of higher education]. But once that snowball starts, a lot of people never come back to it.”

People in the foster care system currently struggle with educational outcomes. According to the National Foster Youth Institute, roughly 50 percent of the children in foster care will graduate high school, with only 3-4 percent going on to on to receive a four-year college degree. In Ohio, these issues are intensified by the structure of the foster care system, said ACTION Ohio communications chair Lisa Dickson, who described the current state-run, county-administered system as “fractured.” 

“If you’re the state and you want to get the county to do something, you need to have the carrot or the stick, and you either have to bribe the county to do it, or you have to threaten to take away money if they don’t,” Dickson said. “And so, with child welfare, we have 88 inconsistencies between counties and the state, and the way Montgomery County handles foster care is different from how Hamilton County does foster care, which is different from how Franklin County does foster care. It’s not a safety net we’re offering our youth; it’s a patchwork quilt.”

While not a cure-all, the Foster-to-College Scholarship Act could ease the burden on those who do pursue technical or four-year degrees, with Dickson pointing to various gaps unique to those who have emerged from the foster care system. If a student is housed in a college dorm, for instance, they might not have anywhere to sleep when the school closes over the holidays. And if they rent an apartment, they might not have an available cosigner after aging out of foster care, leaving them vulnerable to unscrupulous landlords. Dickson recalled one former foster youth whose landlord leased to them absent a cosigner but then refused to make any repairs to the property. 

“So, you’re not going to get a really great place, right?” said Dickson, who also pointed to areas such as transportation and groceries as areas in which former foster youths most pressingly feel these financial strains. “And Adam Hassan has experienced that himself, where he’s gone without food, where he walked miles to get anywhere, walked holes in his shoes. In addition, he’s also worked with other former fosters and seen how $500 here, $250 there, while not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, can have a huge impact on college retention. We don’t have to have a 3 percent college rate. We just don’t have the support.”

Hassan said the money he put toward tuition exacerbated the challenges he had in locating both stable housing (he now lives of Joyce Road in Linden) and reliable transportation. With more financial aid available to cover existing gaps, both could have been settled issues much earlier in his college career. 

“The challenges we face – housing, transportation, clothing and food shortages – these things accumulate on you like a big pile of rocks,” said Hassan, who hopes to impress on state legislators in his meetings this week that a small investment into former foster care youth can have a massive benefit. “Oftentimes, they’ll look at individual cases and be like, ‘Oh, is it worth it to invest state money, taxpayer money? Is it worth it to invest time, people, resources?’ And what I want to remind them is, hey, we’re trying to help former foster youth develop, get them into higher education, and get them better job opportunities so that they can really progress in life. What we’re trying to do here is break the cycle.”

Richland County focuses on youth "aging out" of foster care.

Aging out of Foster Care is subject of May 9 forum at OSU-Mansfield
Richland Source, April 15, 2025. 

Richland County Youth and Family Council, in collaboration with Richland County Children Services, is hosting a pivotal event titled “Aging Out of the Foster Care System…What Now?” 

This forum, scheduled for Friday, May 9, at 11 a.m. in Eisenhower Hall at The Ohio State University at Mansfield, aims to shed light on the challenges faced by youth transitioning out of the foster care system and explore ways the community can offer support for their successful integration into society.

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with esteemed local leaders, including Michelle Miller, Executive Director, Richland County Youth and Family Council; Herbert Ross, Program Director/QMHS/CDCA/Life Coach/Intervention Specialist, Family Life Counseling; Mary Stephan, Independent Living Caseworker, Richland County Children Services; RCCS youths who have aged out of foster care; and Kathy Goodwin, Family Housing Intervention Specialist, Third Street Family Health Services/Safe Program Mansfield City Schools.

The discussion will be expertly moderated by Aurelio Diaz, 5th Ward Mansfield City Councilman.

By fostering dialogue and collaboration, this forum seeks to inspire collective action in providing a nurturing environment for these young individuals to flourish.

Doors open at 10:45 a.m.,free luncheon at 11 a.m., forum begins at 11:30 a.m. 

For further details, contact Michelle Miller at 419-774-5442. The public is invited to help make a positive impact on the lives of those transitioning from foster care to independence.

Allen County seeks to keep foster youth closer to home

Allen County Children Services co-launches new foster care program to keep children closer to home
Myers, Stacey. Fox Hometown Station. April 21, 2025.  

A specialized treatment foster care program is being created to help children who have previously been housed in out of town facilities.

Allen County Children Services executive director Sarah Newland announcing that they are teaming up with child welfare agencies in Auglaize and Hardin Counties to get those children back in their home counties. A new treatment foster care program will give specialized training to foster parents to treat children with behavioral and mental health needs.

ACCS director Sarah Newland discussed the new program at the weekly Lima Rotary Club meeting.

"This program will be vital in allowing us to keep kids local in our community and not placing them counties away for treatment, and allow them to remain in a family like setting," Newland said. "There's so many benefits to these children that can remain in our community."

Newland adds they will be looking first at their current foster parents to see if they are willing to take on this higher level care and also looking for additional homes in Allen, Auglaize and Hardin Counties to become licensed.

Keimani’s teachers observed signs of abuse, listened to her tell them that she was afraid to go home, fulfilled their role as mandated reporters. Did the hotline take their concerns seriously? Was there ever an investigation?

Teacher says Keimani came to school with injuries, 'was fearful of going home'

Melissa Burden, Toledo Balde, March, 25, 2025. 

One of Keimani Latigue’s teachers said she called authorities at least twice over her concerns for the girl and knows of other educators who did as well. Kayleene Hairabedian, who taught sixth-grade English to Keimani last year at Bennett Venture Academy, said Keimani came to school with injuries regularly.

“She would have welt marks on the back of her neck, back, and stomach,” she said. “She was constantly bruised. She was fearful of going home.”

Ms. Hairabedian said she believes that Keimani would be alive if authorities had done something.

Keimani enrolled at Toledo Public Schools’ Spring Elementary for this school year, where the seventh grader was recently recognized at the school’s honor roll assembly and was going to be given a kindness award later this week, school officials said.

“The students and staff at Spring Elementary are saddened by the loss of their friend and classmate,” officials said in a statement. “Keimani will be remembered as being very personable and someone who got along well with others.”

Counselors were at the school Monday and Tuesday to help students and employees cope with her disappearance and death. The district’s two therapy dogs were also at the school.

Her teacher from the charter school wishes more could have been done for Keimani.

“Keimani was sweet, caring, and generous,” Ms. Hairabedian said. “She would offer pieces of her breakfast to me. She was a good, kind person. She was always seeking validation that she was good. She was a special, well behaved child. She absolutely would be alive today if they had listened to our calls.”

Kevin Milliken, spokesman for Lucas County Children Services, said the organization was advised by the Lucas County Prosecutor's Office that “nothing is public record at this time.”

“The big yellow book from the attorney general is full of exceptions to the public records law where child welfare is concerned,” Mr. Milliken said.

Russ Lang in the news

Aging out: Cleveland foster care youth beats odds, but challenges remain
Kaitlin Durbin, Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 18, 2025. 

Despite graduating college and starting a business, Russell Lang still faces hurdles as a former foster youth, highlighting the ongoing struggles for those aging out of the system without families to help support them. (Self-portrait courtesy of Russell Lang)

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Russell Lang knew that when he turned 18, he’d face the harsh reality of aging out of the foster care system without a family to lean on or help guide him.

The safety net that had largely supported him through childhood would fall away, and he’d be left to navigate adulthood on his own, ready or not. He knew the odds of success for most foster kids in his situation were grim.

Data from iFoster, a nonprofit supporting foster youth, show that only a quarter of foster youth graduate high school, and fewer than 12% go on to attend college, despite an abundance of resources meant to assist them. Within four years, 70% are on government assistance and 50% experience homelessness. A third will have been incarcerated.

Lang was determined to defy the statistics — not once, but twice.

He threw himself into his studies, graduating high school with a 3.5 GPA and a prestigious internship with NASA’s Glenn Research Center. Then, he earned a full ride to Cleveland State University, thanks to the Sullivan-Deckard Scholarship Opportunity Program for foster care youth.

It put him up in a dorm, which he considers his first real home, and allowed him opportunities to explore interests in sciences and photography. He graduated last summer with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science.

Today, he’s interning with iFoster, helping others transition to self-sufficiency, and trying to build his own business, RussLangPhotography, focusing on city and nature scapes.

He’s already gone farther than most.

“I had no other option” he recently told Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. “My only other option was to be out on the street.”

Lang was “resilient, determined, passionate,” as it notes on his photography profile. But not all foster youth have the same drive or think about setting themselves up for the future. Many are just thinking about how to survive the now.

They’ve been removed from their families because of neglect or abuse and have other compounding traumas that can make it difficult for them to connect or adjust, often manifesting in behavior issues and trouble performing in school. That in turn can perpetuate a negative stigma that makes it harder for them to be adopted or secure some other permanent placement, as cleveland.com has learned through its series of stories covering foster care and adoption.

Early installments explored what it takes to foster local youth and explained how the adoption process works. It also profiled two kids awaiting permanency in the system now.

But the reality is, more than a hundred Cuyahoga County youths age out of the system every year without a home. In 2022, there were 135 emancipations, data provided by the county’s Children and Family Services showed. Last year, there were 118.

The county has numerous resources meant to help prepare them for that day, starting three months prior to their separation. Kids who graduate high school can leave with a new laptop and get help pursuing higher education, trades programs or the military.

There are housing resources through Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority and partnerships with private landlords. There’s medical coverage until they’re 26. And there’s an abundance of other community programs that can assist with clothes, furniture, employment, mentorship and other basic resources.

But there’s no data on how often youths are accessing those resources, and most programs have to be contacted individually, making them harder to reach and navigate. Understaffing across county agencies also means fewer people to help make those connections.

“At least it’s there; at least they (kids) have that opportunity,” Greg Jones, a permanency support officer with the county, argues, but he acknowledges that it isn’t a perfect system and they don’t catch everyone. Sometimes youths have run away and are already trying to make it on their own by then. Other times, they’re reluctant to get help, especially from the county.

They can come back and access county support any time until they turn 21, Jones said, but he couldn’t quantify how often they do. “There are so many components that they’re facing, that they figure ‘I might as well take a chance and have my life in my own hands,’” he explained.

The problem is, like most youths their age, they’re not fully ready for the responsibility. “I have come across very few 18-year-olds who were mature enough to handle the adult world,” Jones said.

Lang admits he wasn’t ready to be an adult, though he tried to pretend.

Sure, he got into college, he said, but had no one to call for support or to help troubleshoot issues in class, discuss potential career options – anything. He didn’t trust the help that was being offered, assuming it was just part of the person’s job, an obligation they had to fill.

It was a trauma response derived from abandonment issues throughout his childhood.

Lang entered the system when he was just 4 years old, after the county learned that he’d been living in a car with his mother and two older siblings and hiding from protective services when she’d disappear for weeks at a time.

They were placed with a family that Lang recalls being very nice, but it was still a culture shock. Then his mother died of health complications, eliminating any hope of reunification. He was devastated.

“The only thing I was thinking at that time was I loved my mother,” he said. “She wasn’t around a lot, but she was my mother.”

After that, Lang said the county sent them to live with and aunt and uncle, whom they’d always enjoyed while growing up, but grief and unplanned parenthood changed them. Lang remembers being ordered to lay in his bed in silence after school and living off four slices of toast and a TV dinner each day, until his uncle relinquished custody and they were thrust back into the foster system, yet again.

Lang’s oldest sister, who had already aged out, once tried to petition for custody, he said, but the county reportedly denied the match. Lang would stay six years in his next foster home, where he said he had three meals a day and clean sheets on his bed, “but I didn’t feel like I belonged. I didn’t feel like I was loved in that house,” he said.

One day, just six months before his high school graduation, he said he came home to find his foster mother had cleaned out his closet and thrown away a bag of sentimental clothing he’d collected over the years. They fought and he was moved to a new home. Then he aged out and was off to college on his own.

He resisted support at first, he admits, but soon he connected with a program organizer who, he said, would challenge his excuses and was the first person he felt genuinely cared about his well-being. “I’d even call her a mother figure,” he says now.

It allowed him to turn an opportunity into a success, he said.

“I had the ability to develop myself. I had the ability to educate myself, to chase my passions, to form new relationships without the stress of finding housing and being on the street or couch surfing. That’s integral,” he said. “Having a place to call home was the reason why I’m successful.”

There are other success stories of foster care youth who were able to defy the odds.

Jones recalls a teen he worked with who is now a lieutenant in the Navy and volunteering with other foster care youths. There’s a girl who graduated college and now is buying her first home with her husband and child. And there’s a man in his mid-20s who’s starting his own cologne business.

Lang’s middle sister, too, is doing well. She also benefited from the Sullivan Deckard scholarship at CSU and went on to get her Masters. She’s now a case worker for Catholic Charities, where she does peer recovery support for recovering addicts, Lang said. His oldest sister has two children that he visits when able.

They try to stay connected, but Lang still feels on his own.

He’s trying to grow his photography business into a full-time job, while he works on getting a driver’s license and a car, two necessities that he believes has limited his other job prospects. He used his stimulus checks to buy a Nikon Z6 mirrorless camera during the pandemic and has developed a following for his shots of Cleveland’s skyline, which he sometimes refers to as “Gotham, Ohio,” and his “Bike rides in Cleveland” series.

His work has been featured by Cleveland Magazine, the city of Cleveland and on Cleveland.com’s social media platforms.

Still, he said, he’s living in low-income housing and worries he might soon lose his AmeriCorps-funded internship with iFoster, as the Trump Administration reviews federal spending and makes cuts.

Just a few months ago, while waiting for his public assistance to kick in, he was struggling to make ends meet on $1,900 in monthly income for an estimated $2,100 in expenses. “I was scared,” he said.

He’s not sure what comes next. He appreciates all the safety nets that have supported him over the last several years, but he’ll soon age out of those, too. He’ll have to be his own safety net.

He hopes he’ll be ready then.

“I have to be successful; I have to be good,” Lang said. “If I don’t, I’m just another statistic.”