No one understands the plight of an abused child navigating the foster care system better than one who walked the journey himself. Francisco Nelson has been there, and today he's an advocate for South Florida's kids in crisis.
He ran away from his abusive family at the age of 15, spent time in a shelter, a group home, his grandmother's home, and another group home. When he turned 17, his case worker placed him in a foster home. On his 18th birthday, without anywhere else to go, he moved into a 4KIDS independent living home for young men who age out of foster care.
He wasn't a likely candidate for success, by the world's view. But every step of the way, God's hand was upon this young man, shaping him into who he is today. This spring, 22-year-old Francisco Nelson was named to the Board of Directors at ChildNet - the lead agency for child-welfare in Broward County.
"I am the only foster kid on any type of foster board in the United States," says Nelson. "They did a lot of research, and they said that if you are going to help a community that is more developed for foster care, then why not have someone who has been through the system and knows what it is like, someone who can bring a different point of view."
He ran away from his abusive family at the age of 15, spent time in a shelter, a group home, his grandmother's home, and another group home. When he turned 17, his case worker placed him in a foster home. On his 18th birthday, without anywhere else to go, he moved into a 4KIDS independent living home for young men who age out of foster care.
He wasn't a likely candidate for success, by the world's view. But every step of the way, God's hand was upon this young man, shaping him into who he is today. This spring, 22-year-old Francisco Nelson was named to the Board of Directors at ChildNet - the lead agency for child-welfare in Broward County.
"I am the only foster kid on any type of foster board in the United States," says Nelson. "They did a lot of research, and they said that if you are going to help a community that is more developed for foster care, then why not have someone who has been through the system and knows what it is like, someone who can bring a different point of view."