Help Every - Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition

Meet Lewis -
Coalition Success Stories
Lewis and his brothers and sisters came into care six years ago. Now 15, he is the last sibling left
in foster care. He lives in a group home – an institution where his caregivers rotate in shifts. He can’t
connect with adults because they constantly drop in and out of his life. His case was referred to Extreme
Recruitment®, and his recruiter, Liz, began the search for supportive family members for
Lewis…someone he could connect with. Thanks to her efforts, he now visits his siblings and has met an
aunt and some cousins. Although his aunt couldn’t adopt him, she happily welcomes him to every family
celebration. He is so excited to be part of a family once again.
In the spirit of Extreme Recruitment®, at the same time Liz was working with the aunt, she also
sent Lewis’ information to adoption licensing workers statewide. A couple quickly responded, and Lewis
will join their family in just a few weeks. After meeting his aunt and family, his new adoptive parents
said, “Lewis is not entering our family – we are entering his.”
Meet Michael –
Michael is 17, and like many boys his age, he is trying to decide what he wants to do when he
finishes school. Unlike most boys, though, he was facing the prospect of aging out of the foster care
system with no one to help him as he transitions to adulthood. His Extreme Recruiter, Liz, has been
working to find family members who can offer their support to Michael. She found his sister, Angela,
who aged out of foster care 10-years ago. When Liz spoke with her, she was heartbroken thinking of
Michael facing the lonely future she had faced before she turned 18. “I don’t want my brother to go
through what I did,” she said.
When Angela aged out of foster care at 18, she did not have a high school diploma, but she did
have a will to succeed. She did whatever it took, working different jobs to remain independent. With no
family or support system, she has struggled to make it on her own. Liz recently helped set up weekly
visits between Michael and his sister, and Angela can’t wait to adopt Michael. “I want him to celebrate
his 18th birthday knowing he has a family to count on,” she said. “He won’t have to be alone. I had to
make my own luck, but I can help him make his.”
Meet Marshaun and Joseph –
Marshaun and Joseph, now 12 and 13, have lived in foster care since 2003. Joseph was very sick,
and their mother was unable to properly care for them. The children were sent to live with different foster
families, and they lost touch with their biological family. Recently, their cases were referred to the
Coalition for the Extreme Recruitment® program. While researching, Gayle, the Extreme Recruiter,
found a family physician who was very involved in their young lives due to Joseph’s medical needs.
When the Recruiter called, the doctor said, “I recently ran into their Aunt Marcy. She brought Joseph to
see me so many times, and she really loved those kids. She’s working at a hotel nearby.” The Recruiter
immediately headed to the hotel and found Aunt Marcy, who was delighted to hear about the children she
had tried so many times to find over the years. “Those are my babies,” she said. “When can I see them?”
In a few short weeks, Extreme Recruitment® has reunited Marshaun and Joseph with their aunt, uncle and
cousins; they will soon be adopted.
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