Celebrating a Bright Future: Da’Leigha’s Graduation and New Journey

“I am excited but also scared,” says Da’Leigha when she thinks about her future at Indiana University Indianapolis, where she’ll study early childhood education.

Da’Leigha graduated from high school in Evansville in May and moved to Indianapolis with her foster family in June. Her foster mom, Kimiko, isn’t surprised by Da’Leigha’s ambition to head to college. She says Da’Leigha expressed early on that she was interested in some form of education after high school, so she stayed on her “tail” to encourage her.

Like any high schooler, figuring out the next step involved many different options, ranging from beauty school to business school, until she finally decided on education as a major. She and her foster mom both noticed her knack for caring for young children. “When I was younger, I took care of my siblings. It was fun to me,” says Da’Leigha, who has been in foster care with her foster family for about three years.

“The journey has been a huge eye-opener for us,” says Kimiko. “These children come to us and we’re complete strangers. Whatever experiences they’ve had, we have to help them heal.”

Kimiko and her husband, who has a former military background, went through the accreditation process with The Villages of Indiana and became foster parents in 2021. She says her husband was first to mention interest in fostering.

Since then, the couple has fostered several children who were able to be reunited with their families. Da’Leigha and her six brothers and sisters, who are also in foster care in Indiana, were not able to rejoin their biological mother. Kimiko says, “She (Da’Leigha) let us know she didn’t want to be adopted. We respected it. But we said you’re not leaving our lives. You’re here to stay.”

Stacy Harding, case manager at The Villages, connected the family with services through the Collaborative Care program. Youth who continue in foster care receive older youth services and wrap-around support, while completing their education or starting a career.

Harding says through Collaborative Care, Da’Leigha tapped into services to make the transition from high school to college. “DaLeigha did this all on her own. She sought out services and asked for help to complete all the college application forms,” says Stacy. “She took everyone’s advice not just mine but also her parents. I think that speaks volumes for her.”

Asking for help like this isn’t something all foster youth feel comfortable doing. Kimiko says she and her husband set the family foundation from the outset. When establishing a relationship with a foster child in their home they have a family meeting where they set house rules defining routine and structure. She and her husband begin to see behavior adjustments, “Then I start to hear them ask for help,” says Kimiko.

Da’Leigha credits her “mom” with helping her figure out her next step after high school graduation, starting college in the fall. When asked her advice for anyone who wants to become or is a foster parent, DeLeigha says, “Take time to know them (foster children) and not rush it. Enjoy it while it lasts.”

She says, “I am excited but nervous to leave home. I’ll be completely on my own… I’m excited to meet people the same age, and we’ll all go through it together.”