Jonathon's Story
Not long ago, it was difficult to get the 11 year old to talk about anything. Shy and withdrawn, he’d been in foster care, off and on, since he was a toddler. But then Jonathon joined a new foster family and found a real home after a lifetime of instability.
His new foster parents first heard about Treehouse from a social worker. She told them that Treehouse provides tutoring, clothes, extracurricular activities, even the chance for kids in foster care to go to summer camp. And that’s exactly what Jonathon did.
At camp, he experienced some of the great joys of childhood. Toasting marshmallows over a campfire. Splashing in the clear waters of a lake. And learning to make new friends. But his most treasured memory by far was discovering an osprey’s nest at the end of a hike and seeing the majestic bird take flight.
Those five days at camp helped restore something in Jonathon. The formerly withdrawn and angry child began to connect with people in a way he never had before.
Some people think of camp as an “extra.” But for kids like Jonathan – whose other life experiences have included packing his few possessions at a moment’s notice and moving from one foster care placement to the next – summer camp is essential.
Today, he’s thriving. There are no more calls from the principal’s office and no more after-school detentions. He continues to make friends and was recently appointed to his school’s leadership team. And he can’t wait until next summer.
Foster Care Fact
On any given day more than 500,000 youth are in some form of foster care across the United States.
