This episode isn't just about foster care. It's about grief. It's about identity. It's about what happens when a child loses not only their home, but their sense of safety, belonging, and sometimes even themselves. Solange Carlson's story is one that stayed with me long after we stopped recording. As a child, she was removed from her home and placed into a world she didn't understand. No one explained what was happening. No one gave her the language to process the fear, confusion, or loss. Like so many children in foster care, she was expected to adapt, survive, and keep moving forward. But what struck me most was not the removal itself—it was the invisible aftermath. The constant moving. The changing rules. The uncertainty. The way a child begins creating stories to fill in the gaps when no one explains the truth. Stories like, "I'm not worthy," "I'm a burden," or "I don't belong anywhere." Those stories don't disappear when a child leaves care. They often follow them into adulthood, relationships, careers, and parenting. What Solange helped me understand at an even deeper level is that leaving foster care doesn't mean the journey is over. In many ways, it's just beginning. We expect young adults to age out of the system at eighteen and somehow know how to navigate life, relationships, emotions, jobs, and parenting. Yet many have never been taught how to regulate their nervous system, process grief, ask for help, or trust another human being. They carry the weight of losing biological family, foster families, siblings, friends, homes, schools, routines, and pieces of their identity—often over and over again. We talk about permanency, but we rarely talk about grief. We talk about outcomes, but we rarely talk about healing. And until we do, we will continue expecting children to build a life on a foundation that was never fully repaired. What gives me hope is that Solange's story is also one of courage. She became the very thing she needed as a child. Through years of self-awareness, therapy, mentorship, and hard work, she chose to break cycles instead of repeating them. She chose healing. She chose to become present for her own children even when it meant facing painful memories she had spent years avoiding. Her story reminds us that healing is possible, but it should not be this lonely. Children in foster care don't just need homes. They need connection. They need consistency. They need adults willing to listen before they judge, to offer compassion before advice, and to leave the door open when a child isn't ready to walk through it yet. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is simply remind a child, "When you're ready, I'm here." So let me ask you a question. What if awareness wasn't the finish line? What if it was the invitation? The invitation to notice the foster child sitting in your child's classroom. The invitation to support foster families in your community. The invitation to offer more grace, more patience, and more understanding to children whose behaviors may simply be speaking the pain they don't yet have words for. Because every child deserves more than survival. Every child deserves to feel seen, known, and valued. And no child should ever age out of needing a family. Find Solange here; https://www.instagram.com/heal_loud_and_love_louder/ Contact Corree or find out more about Corree and learn about all the ways she does not choose to stay in one lane go here: https://correeroofener.com/ To Purchase Emotional Money click here: Emotional Money Are you ready to walk with us for https:/https://fosteringthesummit.org Join us as we change the statistics for children aging out of foster care. Also, follow me on https://www.instagram.com/correeroofenercoach/ for more inspiration and practical wisdom for your business and life. Until next time, keep shining bright! - Corree
