In May 2017, Matthew’s grandmother came from Kenya to care for him and his siblings after their mother, who was terminally ill, requested it. Just a month later, their mother passed away, and the grandmother was granted guardianship. But after a year of challenges and cultural conflicts, she abruptly returned to Kenya, leaving the children with a family friend—who soon after could no longer care for them. In January 2019, the children entered foster care for the first time.

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A CASA advocate was first assigned to Matthew and his brother in February of 2019. He hasn’t always been able to be placed with his siblings, and the advocate has supported and assisted in making sure visitation happened as often as possible. Unfortunately, the road has not always been smooth for Matthew. Some of his foster care placements were difficult, and the many placement moves also meant changes in schools, friends, and support systems. Even with all the moves and trauma, Matthew maintained good grades and a drive to succeed. He was eager to attend CASA’s Teen Expo in March 2023 and was particularly interested in the financial planning session. He even took the initiative to schedule a one-on-one budget session with one of the event speakers so he could better prepare for his next steps.​