My name is Dee, and my passion for starting The Promised Path comes from my own story.
I was adopted at five years old into a loving family of nine six adopted girls and two biological boys, raised by my adoptive mother and father. While I am deeply thankful for my adoptive family and the foster families who cared for me, there was another family who wanted me too. From ages 5 to 12, I bounced back and forth as people tried to figure out which family was “best” for me. That constant tug left me caught between two worlds. Both families wanted me, but mentally, I felt misplaced like I didn’t fully belong anywhere. And that feeling of not belonging is something so many foster youth carry with them every day. I know what it feels like, and I don’t want any child to feel forgotten or unwanted.
When I was 15, I re-entered the foster system after conflict with my adoptive family. By then, I had already seen how trauma shapes kids. I watched the girls around me lose the light in their eyes, hope slipping away. And even though I felt misplaced between two families, the truth is, I still had it better than many. I had a mom and dad ! Who loved me despite the the conflict and pain. I had parents. I had fun experiences. I got to live the joys of childhood. Churchcamps, disney, sports, hobbies and so much more! But Unfortunately Most of the girls around me didn’t.
After bouncing from group home to group home, I came to a heartbreaking truth: kids in foster care who carry trauma, sadness, and hopelessness often act out and instead of receiving real help, they are handed medication. Too often, the first response is to numb their pain rather than address it. Pills are given before hope, and labels are stamped on them before healing even begins.
Yes, medication can help in some cases. But it should never be the only answer, because trauma does not define who you are. Sadly, when children are told from a young age that they’re broken, they start to believe it. They grow up thinking they will never be more than their pain, never capable of rising above it. That mindset follows them into adulthood, robbing them of the chance to see who they really can become.
But here’s the truth: these kids are capable of so much more. They just need the chance to heal, to be supported, and to be reminded of their worth. Success isn’t built on medication alone it’s built on mindset, on being shown love, and on having the right tools and opportunities. And that has to start early. If we wait until kids are 18, we’ve already missed some of the most important years where belief, identity, and confidence are shaped.
That’s why I started The Promised Path. Because every child deserves to grow up knowing they are more than their trauma, more than their past, and more than what the system tells them they are. My promise is simple: to give foster youth the tools, support, and experiences they need to heal, to grow, and to believe in themselves so they can step into a future filled with hope, stability, and success.
