How I Survived Displacement and Now Foster At-Risk Youth

Right before Hurricane Katrina hit land, my sister and a few of my adult foster kids all showed up at my house. It was already full with my five daughters – three biological and two foster – so I felt like they were disrespecting my mental health. I told my kids to pack a bag and we decided to drive to Baton Rouge. We were on the road for hours. What normally was an hour and a half drive ended up being 14 hours.

With FEMA’s support, families affected by Hurricane Katrina were routed to St. Patrick Center. My family and I were put up in a hotel, and it was right off of the highway. I had my daughters and niece with me, so I was concerned about sex trafficking. That’s when St. Patrick Center moved us to the Radisson. There were about 100+ displaced families with us, and because I was a school social worker and knew the laws, I found myself helping guide families through the process to access services.

When we ended up in St. Louis, there was only one school that could honor my daughter’s IEP, so I got connected with the McKinney-Vento liaison. That ultimately led to my current role with St. Louis Public Schools overseeing homeless and foster care services.

At SLPS, I work closely with St. Patrick Center. When St. Patrick Center intakes a family with one of our students, we partner with them to provide our services and ensure students can remain in school. My goal is to make sure every student has access to education, no matter their living situation.