According to official statistics, only one in two foster kids who age out of the system will have some form of gainful employment by the age of 24.
Vanessa Cropley, an office manager at a security company in Reno, who is on the good side of these odds recently shared her story with student reporter Sarah D’Atri.
Vanessa’s journey included spending time with her grandma who became her guardian, running away back to her mom’s and then put in treatment centers and in homes for troubled kids.
“I grew up in [the] state’s custody. I got taken away from both my parents and I grew up in a bunch of different foster homes, treatment centers and whole bunch of stuff. Me being a little kid, not understanding why the state took me away, I thought that the state [was] just being mean and keeping me and not [giving] me back to my mom and dad.
My mom wasn't doing what she was supposed to, [so] they found long term solutions for us. Me and my sister went to live with my grandma. She agreed to take us, so that we were with family and not just going house to house to different foster homes.
Growing up in the system, I couldn't get my driver's license like everyone else. Everyone else is getting their permits and everything like that. I wasn't allowed to because of the state's custody. Obviously, I am now driving. So, I think that's a huge thing that I think the states should consider is let the children go get their permit so they can get a driver's license and not be like mean with anxiety.”
Sarah: Oh, so you can only get it at 18.
Vanessa: Yeah, because that's when I grew out, like graduated from being in the state’s custody.
Sarah: Are there any other rules that are like that?
Vanessa: Even though I was in custody of my grandma, if we wanted to go anywhere, she would have to get approval, to take me, out of the city or state.
Sarah: So, even though you were with your grandma, she was considered your guardian?
Vanessa: Yeah.
Sarah: Oh! you would think you're with your family member, they are literally by blood, your guardian.
Vanessa: Then because I was still a kid and I didn't understand it was my mom not doing what she needs to goes back, I kept running away.
Sarah: Oh, to go to your mom's?
Vanessa: Yeah. So, I kept running away to be with my mom. There was this one time I was on the run for over a year, and she hid me. They finally got a hold of her and said ‘We know you have her. If you don't give her back to us, you're going to jail’. So, she said ‘Sorry Vanessa, I got to put you on a plane and you're going back to being in the states’.
Then I went to a lot of treatment centers, troubled youth homes stuff like that. A lot of the staff members who saw how I was being raised, grown up in the system. I was being such a bad troublemaker and kept running away because I wanted to be with my mom. [They] thought I was going to be some junkie on drugs, thought I was going to end up overdosing and dying. They pretty much watched me grow up. After I turned 18, they were ‘Oh my god Vanessa! I am so proud of you look at you".
Sarah: WOW! With everything that you know now, what do you want want to teach the general public?
Vanessa: The biggest thing is people shouldn't judge people for their past. I want people to understand, even if they did have a rough upbring[ing], give them a chance and believe in them. Don’t hold their past against them.