I didn't have it figured out
Scotty Brown
Marketing & Communications Specialist
When I was 21, I thought I had life all figured out.
I decided to move out of my parents’ house into an apartment with my best friend—while I was still in school and working part-time at a grocery store.
My parents were hesitant but let me make my own decisions (and, spoiler alert, my own mistakes).
Less than a year later, I was back at my parents’ house. My grocery store paycheck just wasn’t cutting it, and managing everything on my own turned out to be harder than I thought.
Thankfully, my parents welcomed me back with open arms when I asked to move home.
For youth aging out of foster care, that safety net doesn’t exist.
Taking risks or making mistakes isn’t as simple when there’s no family to fall back on.
Justin has seen this first-hand – he came to Good Samaritan in 2019 at 15 years old, starting in our treatment facility in Brighton. From there, he transitioned to our group home and today he’s part of our Apartment Program.
Recently, Justin experienced a life-changing event—he became a father. His new role has given him a fresh perspective and a renewed drive to give his daughter the life he never had.
But becoming a parent also brings new challenges. As Justin approaches aging out of foster care, he’s facing an uncertain future without the guidance or support of a family to navigate the early days of parenthood.
Justin will join our Fostering Stability program when he ages out next year.
This program offers young adults like Justin monthly financial assistance to help weather crises, dream about the future, and, most importantly, build a stable foundation for the generations to come.
“I’m not prepared for everything life might bring,” Justin shared, “but Fostering Stability will give me the extra support I need in a crisis and help me dream of the life I want for my daughter.”
Justin’s dreams are big — buying a house, finding a great school district for his daughter, and even coming back to work at Good Samaritan one day to give back to the organization that supported him.
