The 1% Problem
“Within four years of leaving the foster care system at 18, roughly one-quarter of youths are homeless, one-quarter are incarcerated and one-third receive welfare. Fewer than 1% graduate from college.” LA Times, July 19th, 2006
When you multiply that to 4,300 kids a year, that is an epidemic. When you couple that with the breakdown in education, we’re talking about a youth catastrophe. As the chief of governmental affairs for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, Mitch Mason says, “Raising kids in foster care does not promote good outcomes. There are some kids that have achieved great success, but kids need families. They need permanency in their lives.”
Those are the statistics. Then there is my boy Davon.
One time I was talking with Davon about where he was at with Jesus. He responded, “I’m really trying to follow Jesus’ example. Everyday I find myself asking, ‘What would Jesus do?” He then chuckled at himself, realizing the cliche that had just rolled off his tongue. “No, but in a real way,” he added.
One of the sweet things about Davon’s growing life with Jesus is how it brought him into a new family at CSULA. Like all families, the spiritual home that Davon found through DEEP is not perfect. But it is a place of belonging. A place where Davon went from a frosh guy that I met to becoming not only a part of the family of God, but a part of my family as well.
Davon just finished his first year of college this June. I dream of the day when we will watch him collect his diploma and graduate. It will only confirm for me that Davon is set-apart to be a very special man, part of an elite group.
