Written by Ana Gallo, Back2Back Linares Site Staff

She had called 12 different places home. She had moved 12 different times. She had said 12 different goodbyes.

When Back2Back staff met her, she was a teenager whose behavior spoke louder than words: she didn’t need another space to temporarily call home; she needed people. She needed individual attention, intentional healing, and a safe place where she didn’t have to compete to be seen.

Staff searched for a foster family and, in the midst of that, a local family who had met her previously began inviting her into their home on weekends. They stepped into her hard story, and small glimpses of life began shining through her once-gray disposition. Like every vulnerable child, she needed a family.

For three months, she lived with an emergency foster family, where she felt loved and seen by two safe adults whose only goal was to help her rediscover what she had lost long ago – hope.

It seemed her future would be permanent placement there, but God had other plans. As prayers continued for her to find lasting belonging, her biological sister, also previously in the child welfare system, stepped forward.

“I want to be her caregiver.” Six words that changed everything.

God went beyond what anyone imagined. He provided loving, temporary space while preparing what she longed for most – her own family. Today, she lives with her biological sister. It isn’t without challenges, but staff have seen more growth and security in her than ever before. From group homes to foster care to her true family, Back2Back continues to walk alongside her in the Strong Families Program.

This is the power of yes – hope restored, families reunited, and vulnerable youth discovering they belong.