All children deserve a safe, stable childhood — a foundation of consistent care, trusted adults, and the space to grow. For youth in foster care, that foundation is often missing. Trauma, instability, and the pain of family separation can follow a child into classrooms, homes, and hallways, showing up in ways that are easy to misread and hard to reach.
J is 11 years old. He has spent years in the foster care system, waiting for a permanent home. When his foster family could no longer care for him and he was abruptly placed with a new family, the transition shook him to his core. He arrived at the Boys & Girls Club carrying anger, anxiety, and a deep sense of loss. He disrupted programming. He sat alone. He refused to engage. He pushed people away before they could leave first.
That’s when Rebecca Soto stepped in.
Miss Becky, the Club’s in-house Social Emotional Counselor, didn’t just see a child acting out. She saw a child in pain — and she refused to give up on him.
Through consistent, compassionate support, Miss Becky helped J work through his feelings rather than around them. She validated his emotions. She taught him coping skills. She guided him through social-emotional activities that helped him channel his pain into purpose. Slowly, a leader began to emerge.
When a 6-year-old joined his foster home, J became his mentor. He helped the younger child manage anxiety, finish homework, and adjust to a new environment — using the exact same tools Miss Becky had given him. Even after that child moved on, J kept showing up for his peers at the Club in the same way.
Today, J knows his growth is a process. He regulates. He leads. He trusts. And while his adoption is still pending, he is stepping into this next chapter with skills, confidence, and at least one unwavering constant in his corner.
His Service Director nominated him for Junior Youth of the Year. He credits all of it to Miss Becky — the woman who, in his words, “never gave up on him.”
This is what Social Emotional Learning looks like when it’s funded, staffed, and given the space to work.