Dom, 16, has been in Kentucky’s foster care system since he was a toddler. After years of moving in and out of homes, he isn’t sugarcoating his experience.“It’s been awful,” said Dom. “They don’t help us, they throw us in random places, and then kick us out anyways.”Older children and teenagers can spend years languishing in the system. The older a child gets, the harder it is to match them with an adoptive home. For Dom, it can feel like the odds are stacked against him. He said it’s hard to think about a future when the present is so unpredictable.While financial assistance for college is available for teens who spent time in foster care, Dom said many future goals feel unattainable. “They have me in these random homes and expect me to think it all up when I’ve already got stuff going on,” he said. “I’ve never really thought about what I want to do when I grow up, and even if I’m going to have a chance to do it anyways because I fail half my school grades.”A program within Jefferson County Public Schools is designed to keep kids in the same school, despite a change in their foster placement. But it’s not always possible. While he’s hesitant to have hope, Dom admits a forever family would be ideal. He said a family with siblings and pets would be nice. Life has not been easy for him, all the more reason for a quality foster or adoptive family to step up and make a positive impact. If you’d like to learn more about Dom or Kentucky’s adoption and foster care system, click here.