Francisco Nelson
I don't live a religion, tradition or superstition, but rather a passionate love relationship with Jesus. I'm a simple Guy living a BOLD life for Christ.
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 boys’ 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 residential living home for teens that 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 selected by the state to manage local services for Broward's abused and neglected children.
"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."
Nelson knows firsthand how it feels to grow up hurting and to be shuffled through the child welfare system. After running away from home, he told the police that if they took him back home, he’d just run away again. He ended up in group homes where his experiences were horrific. "The walls were saturated with anger, evil, and confused youth . . . the darkest places that I was ever in, but in the midst of it, I was better off than at home," Nelson says.
It was nearly a year before his caseworker placed him in a foster home – where he felt for the first time an environment of safety. "It completely changed the definition of safety to me," Nelson recalls. I had thought that safe was being away from my home, my mom, and being in a place [the group home] that was saturated with sex, fights, drugs, and alcohol – until I came to my foster mom’s home, and it was different. It was a wonderful, positive experience."
Although Nelson left his foster home when he turned 18, the close bond had cemented. He visits regularly with his foster mom. "Her family has accepted me," Nelson shares. "I am her son, and they have all accepted that. That has really been transforming in my life."
Nelson then moved into the 4KIDS residential living program for teens like himself needing a home and a family. Focusing on the life skills he had missed out on as a child and teenager, Nelson learned how to do prepare meals, do his own laundry, handle finances, and become dependable. And he thrived. He applied to college, got a job, and today works at Broward College as a creative arts specialist and serves at ChildNet on the board.
He’s the kid who ran away from his abusive home, survived a group home, and was nurtured in his foster home. He’s the young adult who knows what it’s like to be a kid in crisis. "I’m being one voice of hundreds of kids … bringing it before a board and before the state, so we can have the best impact on our youth." At ChildNet, Nelson will be involved in marketing and advertisement for campaigns raising awareness of the plight of foster kids and the desperate need for more foster homes.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD . . . plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11
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 boys’ 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 residential living home for teens that 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 selected by the state to manage local services for Broward's abused and neglected children.
"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."
Nelson knows firsthand how it feels to grow up hurting and to be shuffled through the child welfare system. After running away from home, he told the police that if they took him back home, he’d just run away again. He ended up in group homes where his experiences were horrific. "The walls were saturated with anger, evil, and confused youth . . . the darkest places that I was ever in, but in the midst of it, I was better off than at home," Nelson says.
It was nearly a year before his caseworker placed him in a foster home – where he felt for the first time an environment of safety. "It completely changed the definition of safety to me," Nelson recalls. I had thought that safe was being away from my home, my mom, and being in a place [the group home] that was saturated with sex, fights, drugs, and alcohol – until I came to my foster mom’s home, and it was different. It was a wonderful, positive experience."
Although Nelson left his foster home when he turned 18, the close bond had cemented. He visits regularly with his foster mom. "Her family has accepted me," Nelson shares. "I am her son, and they have all accepted that. That has really been transforming in my life."
Nelson then moved into the 4KIDS residential living program for teens like himself needing a home and a family. Focusing on the life skills he had missed out on as a child and teenager, Nelson learned how to do prepare meals, do his own laundry, handle finances, and become dependable. And he thrived. He applied to college, got a job, and today works at Broward College as a creative arts specialist and serves at ChildNet on the board.
He’s the kid who ran away from his abusive home, survived a group home, and was nurtured in his foster home. He’s the young adult who knows what it’s like to be a kid in crisis. "I’m being one voice of hundreds of kids … bringing it before a board and before the state, so we can have the best impact on our youth." At ChildNet, Nelson will be involved in marketing and advertisement for campaigns raising awareness of the plight of foster kids and the desperate need for more foster homes.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD . . . plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11