Sometimes the people with the most empathy are people who have gone through very hard things and emerged stronger than they were before. At Amara, we’re grateful when people like this open their hearts and homes to become foster caregivers with us.
Alex* is one of these caregivers. She was a young, single, foster caregiver when they welcomed Andy* into their home and life. At the time, the teen was trying to cope with trauma they had experienced and had been missing a lot of school and medical appointments.
Their Amara Foster Care Specialist helped them find the care and resources they needed to help Andy stabilize, including assisting them through the momentous change of entering foster care and moving into Alex’s home. Alex’s patience and empathy helped them both work through the complexities of Andy’s needs while also helping them settle into a new home, neighborhood, and school.
Once they both became more settled in their new life together, Andy began to slowly build trust in Alex. For a child who has experienced trauma, building trust in anyone takes time and courage. Eventually they shared that they are transgender and wanted to change their name. Alex offered her unconditional support for this big change, and Andy tried several names before finding one they liked.
Alex also reached out to a clinic that offers support to transgender teens to find emotional support for Andy. After some time, they were comfortable attending those visits, and this opened the door for Andy to begin to feel more comfortable attending their other appointments, including seeing a doctor and a dentist. For Andy, each brave step forward was a step toward healing.
Because reunification was not possible for Andy, Alex hoped she could adopt Andy and they could officially become a family. Alex knew how important it would be for Andy to keep at least some connection to their birth family. Once again, their Amara Foster Care Specialist was there to help, offering guidance to strengthen their relationships so an open adoption could become possible.
Now, the new family is doing well, and Andy is back attending school regularly. No foster journey is easy, and sometimes paths toward healing take winding turns. But, with support, families can grow, change, and find healing together.
* Names changed to protect privacy.
You can find resources to support young LGBTQ+ individuals in our resources section here.