Our Works of Charity / David Bethuram

A resilient child in foster care transforms her life

Everyone’s heard the saying “history repeats itself,” and for Yara, that truth felt painfully familiar in 2018.

At just 24, she found herself trapped in an abusive relationship, raising a daughter alone, echoing the same hardships her mother once faced.

But unlike her mother, whose life ended in tragedy, Yara chose a different path. With resilience and determination, she broke free from the cycles of violence, foster care and poverty—changing the narrative for herself and her daughters.

Today, Yara is safe in her own home and thriving as a student at a local community college. She’s not only found stability, she also has a sense of purpose and a message she’s determined to share.

Yara’s story began in Florida, where she was raised by her mother, as her father was absent from the start. Her childhood was shaped by the trauma of watching her mother endure repeated abuse.

Following her mother’s death, 7-year-old Yara entered the foster care system, joining hundreds of thousands of children across the U.S. facing life without a permanent home. As of 2025, more than 390,000 children are in foster care nationwide. More than half are under 10, and only 7% are infants.

A decade later, Yara found herself facing similar struggles—this time as a young mother. After reaching out to her grandmother in Indiana, she was dropped off at a Catholic Charities program for women and children. She tried reconnecting with her biological father and other relatives, but the attempts led nowhere. Alone and overwhelmed, she faced homelessness and isolation—a world stripped of hope and dreams.

But inside that program, something shifted. Yara enrolled in a community college and soon became a top student, earning a spot on the dean’s list every semester.

Now living in a suburb of Indianapolis, Yara’s daughters are thriving in school. But the challenges she once faced continue for many. Indiana has nearly 11,000 children in foster care, and many face challenges that echo painful family patterns—like cycles of abuse and instability. Nationally, 20% of foster youth spend three or more years in the system, and more than a third endure three or more placements. These repeated disruptions take a heavy toll on their mental health, education and sense of security.

Yara’s journey hasn’t been easy, but her life is now rooted in hope and determination. Looking back, she wishes she had understood her own strength sooner and had access to the resources that helped her transform her life.

Her message is simple, yet powerful:

“We’re here to make our children’s lives better than our own—to make a difference for the next generation and to teach them the lessons we’ve had to learn the hard way.”
 

(David Bethuram is executive director of the archdiocesan Secretariat for Catholic Charities. You can contact him at dbethuram@archindy.org.) †