Meet Davonte, a youth who aged out of foster care.
One of the goals of Every Child TN is to support youth who have aged out of foster care. We got to meet Davonte at a graduation of youth who have experienced foster care. The mayor of Memphis, DCS, and loved ones were all in attendence. It was a time to celebrate the incredible achievement of these young people who have faced many challenges.
Davonte entered foster care when his mother passed, just two weeks after his 13th birthday. The now nineteen year old is positive about his time in foster care. He says he owes navigating through his teenage years in foster care to the support he’s received from his DCS caseworker.
“You always have to have a good caseworker.” He says that a good caseworker understands the child that they work with so that they can put them in the best placement for them.
“I have a good caseworker.” He calls his caseworker ‘Miss Rebecca.’ He says that she has always checked in with him. She made sure he was doing well in school and was job ready.
“She helped me graduate school, get a job, and get into the car program.”
The Car Ministry
The car program Davonte is referencing is Cars Ministry, a program by Church of the City in Franklin, TN. Davonte was chosen to receive a car based on his story, which he submitted on the encouragement of Miss Rebecca and his Uncle.
Davonte speaks highly of the resources that were available to him as a youth in foster care. He says it was all easy to understand, helpful, and that “there are caseworkers there to help you.”
Davonte’s dreams of the future
Davonte works at Fedex, and is hoping to next work on getting his own apartment. In the next five years, he wants to be working towards being a dentist or working in marketing.
His dentist Dr. Meyers inspired his aspiration towards dentistry. Davonte has been going to Dr. Meyers since he was 13, around the same he entered foster care. “We’ve had a bond ever since,” he says.
“I thought it was going to be hard,” Davonte says about dentistry. “There’s a lot you have to know about the mouth.”
To potential foster parents:
To the people who are thinking of becoming foster parents, he says that it’s not hard, but it is important to understand the background of the child who they’re taking into their home. It’s essential to know that they might have had different experiences in their childhood and they want to feel understood.
“Are you able to understand the background of this child and understand their mental or physical issues?”
Are you interested in supporting youth who have aged out of foster care like Davonte? You can help by becoming a foster parent or by becoming a volunteer!
Start your journey by filling out a short connect form. We will help you find the best opportunity for you.