Dawson entered foster care before his first birthday and lived in twelve different homes by age ten. His one constant connection was with his great aunt, whom he loved dearly. She wanted to provide Dawson with a home, but health problems left her unable to care for him. She required assistance. Eventually, Dawson was placed in a group home.

When Dawson turned thirteen, his county social worker grew concerned that he might stay in the group home until he aged out. Transitioning into adulthood can challenge anybody. It is especially hard for foster youth who don’t have a permanent family. So the social worker referred Dawson to Stanford Sierra Youth & Families.

Dawson began meeting with Avery, a Stanford Sierra permanency worker. Avery listened to Dawson talk about his past, his present, and what he might want for his future. His feelings about the group home were complex. Though he didn’t want to live there forever, it provided the most stability he’d ever had. He liked that. But he also missed his aunt and struggled to understand why he couldn’t live with her.

Avery met the Bennett family while attending a family fair one weekend. The Bennetts expressed interest in adopting Dawson. Avery and a county social worker arranged a meeting with the Bennetts to discuss Dawson’s needs in greater detail. The Bennetts believed they could meet many of those needs and were confident that Stanford Sierra could help them in areas where they needed support.

A few weeks later, Avery mentioned the Bennetts to Dawson. Dawson had mixed feelings. He wanted to meet them but struggled with feelings of loyalty to his great-aunt. Still, he was interested, so one day he and Avery met the Bennetts at a park. It went well. There was a connection. But Dawson had experienced many disappointments over the years. A successful relationship takes more than a good first meeting. 

Over the next six months, Dawson continued to meet the Bennetts with Avery’s supervision and support. The visits became longer and more frequent as Dawson became more comfortable with the arrangement. Dawson also continued to meet with a therapist to process his feelings about his great aunt and any anxieties he had about leaving the group home.

As Dawson completed middle school, he suggested it might be a good idea to transition into life with the Bennetts while also transitioning into life as a high school student. Dawson, his great aunt, the Bennetts, and Avery worked together to schedule regular visits between Dawson and his great aunt. Dawson now lives with the Bennetts, who are his legal guardians, and his great-aunt continues to be an important part of this life. This is the kind of permanency that works best for Dawson, and this is what Stanford Sierra Youth & Families does. We work with each youth to find them the forever family that meets their specific needs, makes the most of their strengths, and helps them thrive.

*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.​