To protect the privacy of those involved, the names of the youth and family members in this story have been changed.

This story is based on the experiences and reflections of Youth Connections Advocate MaryKate Alvarez.

When Youth Connections Advocate MaryKate began working with Marcus in January 2025, he was living with his aunt, Renee, who was pursuing adoption. Renee had been part of Marcus’s life for many years, but several caseworker transitions and gaps in support had created challenges for the family.

In May 2025, MaryKate learned that Marcus would be moved from his aunt’s home to a shelter. She visited Marcus and Renee that evening to better understand what had happened. Marcus was not ready to talk at the time. MaryKate learned that he had left the home multiple times and that there were concerns about his safety. Those concerns ultimately led to his move from Renee’s home.

After the placement disrupted, MaryKate continued talking with Marcus about his relationship with his aunt and whether he might ever consider living with her again. At first, he did not want to talk about his reasoning or permanency at all. Rather than pushing him to have conversations he was not ready for, MaryKate changed her approach and focused on building their relationship.

They went out to eat, did activities together, and even played video games, one of Marcus’s favorite things to do. When he was open to it, MaryKate also used exercises from Getting Solid, a FosterClub guide, to help Marcus identify the people in his life he could turn to for support. One worksheet asked questions such as, “Who would you call if you got a flat tire?” and “Who do you know you could go to if you were in trouble?” He answered that he would call his aunt and cousins.

Even though Marcus was not ready to consider returning to Renee’s home, those answers gave MaryKate insight into the relationships that still mattered to him. Gradually, he became more willing to talk. Conversations that once lasted five minutes or less grew to 30 minutes or more, and he began sharing more about why he did not want to return to his aunt’s home and how he felt about their relationship.

Marcus and Renee also continued seeing each other after the disruption. MaryKate remained in contact with Renee and could see that she loved him and was open to having him return if he wanted to. After several months of building rapport, permanency conversations and visits with his aunt, MaryKate noticed a shift. Marcus began talking about possibly living with Renee again, and their visits became more frequent and eventually included overnight stays.

In March 2026, MaryKate learned that Marcus had run away from his foster placement and gone to Renee’s house. Considering what had happened less than a year earlier, where he chose to go stood out to her. 
“When I found out it was Renee he had run to, I was surprised and took it as a great sign,” MaryKate said. “It meant that he knew she was someone he could go to when he was in trouble. This time, rather than running away from her, he ran to her.”

For MaryKate, that moment felt significant. Months earlier, concerns about his safety had led to a move from Renee’s home. Now, when he needed somewhere to go, her home was the place he chose. Since then, his overnight visits with Renee have increased, and he has continued to soften toward the possibility of living with her again.

Marcus is still working through what he wants. He has talked about returning to Renee’s home, but he also wants independence and believes waiting until he is older may allow him to have both. No final decision has been made, and MaryKate continues to help him think through his options while giving him the time and patience he needs.

There have been days when MaryKate has felt discouraged and unsure of what direction the case would take, but she has continued to believe it is important to keep the possibility of permanency with Renee open. Their bond existed long before MaryKate entered Marcus’s life, and Renee has remained unwavering in her desire to provide a loving home for him.

“Marcus has taught me that we must meet our youth where they are, and we can’t rush the process,” MaryKate said. “In fact, if we try to rush it, we will put up walls between ourselves and the youth we’re trying to connect with. Building trust is essential in this work, and as that trust is built, it opens opportunities for more meaningful conversations.”

There is no final permanency outcome to Marcus’s story yet, and that is part of what MaryKate has learned from working with him. Progress does not always mean having an answer right away. Sometimes it looks like conversations growing from five minutes to 30, more time spent with family and a young person slowly becoming comfortable enough to consider possibilities he once did not want to discuss.

For MaryKate, meeting Marcus where he is means giving him the space to make a complicated decision without rushing him toward an outcome. The trust they have built has opened the door to conversations that were not possible when they first began working together, and for now, that progress matters.

Every young person deserves people who stay. If you'd like to learn more about Raise the Future's Youth Connections program or the work behind these stories, we're here to answer questions and share more.

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