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Trigger Warning: Content includes references to self-harm, abuse, and neglect.

A Place to Call Her Own: Laya’s Story of Finding Stability Aging Out of Foster Care with Support from The Buckeye Ranch 

Growing up, Laya struggled bouncing from home to home, never really feeling like she had a place to call her own. She experienced abuse and neglect throughout her childhood, leaving her to navigate instability, homelessness, and trauma, often by herself.  

In her teen years, Laya’s mental health became a big challenge. After years of feeling alone, she struggled with anxiety, depression, and self-harm, and she was at a breaking point preparing to age out of foster care. 

Trauma Stays in the Body 

From birth, Laya experienced traumatic events that would impact the trajectory of anyone’s life. She was placed in foster care at birth as a result of maternal drug use, experiencing numerous foster placements until she was 12 years old. During that time, her mother passed away and her father was incarcerated.  

At age 12, after experiencing homelessness, she was placed with family members in Southern Ohio. In these placements, she experienced restrictive living conditions, abuse, and neglect. 

“I went through everything you could think of, from constantly moving homes, not feeling like I could rely on anyone, death and loss, abusive relationships, drug use, homelessness, mental health challenges and eventually medication imbalances and health issues,” Laya shares. “I had to advocate for myself a lot. I didn’t feel like anyone understood what I was going through. I did not have the stability I needed to begin to work through all that I’d gone through.” 

While placed with family members, she was able to enroll at a vocational school, where she found support at the guidance office and found a therapeutic outlet in art.  

“My teachers made me feel supported and encouraged me to share my experiences with them,” reflects Laya. “They helped me process my challenges through art, which has stuck with me through my life.” 

Laya found the courage to advocate to the staff that she needed additional mental health support. She received some outpatient support, but still struggled to begin healing, feeling like she did not have a safe place to land. 

“When you’re just a kid navigating overwhelming amounts of anxiety, mental health challenges you don’t understand, and difficult family dynamics, you don’t know where to turn,” she shares. “It was so hard for me to trust others to help me, because the only person who ever had my back was me.” 

The First Step Towards Healing 

Finally, after months of self-advocacy, she was placed at a residential living community for girls where she began to receive some of the mental health resources she was desperately searching for. 

While the experience at a residential living community did help Laya gain access to the mental health support she needed, she still did not feel settled. It was a new place with new people, and she didn’t know where she’d be living after discharge.  

“Through it all, I never really felt like I had a place to call my own where I could go to have a peaceful, quiet, and controlled environment,” shares Laya. “When you’re already navigating anxiety, depression, uncertainty around housing and your future, and everything else I was going through, it’s just impossible to feel settled enough to think about your future.” 

Thankfully, in February of 2025 at age 17, she was connected with the My Place program at The Buckeye Ranch. 

Finding Support at The Buckeye Ranch  

My Place is a Transitional Age Youth program within The Buckeye Ranch’s continuum of care that supports young adults aging out of foster care and into adulthood with independent housing, educational assistance, and vocational supports.  

 My Place offers an independent living campus of 15 fully furnished, one-bedroom apartments and amenities for youth aged 16-21 who are aging out of foster care but still receiving support from a Public Children Service Agency. The goal of My Place is to help residents learn self-sufficiency skills and grow into the adults they were meant to be in their communities. 

Laya struggled to navigate her mental health challenges after experiencing instability throughout her childhood, often feeling like she was never in control of her own environment or safety. Finally, My Place gave her a place to call her own, allowing her to have the autonomy and stability she needed to feel safe and thrive. 

“Having autonomy over my living space and day-to-day has changed my life,” Laya recalls. “Things that might seem small, like being able to choose what I am eating for dinner and to having a dedicated space to practice my art uninterrupted, mean everything. I’ve been able to reduce my medication because I finally feel in control of my environment, and I can decompress and calm down. I can move at my own pace for the first time.” 

Though Laya still struggles to ask for help, she has gradually opened up during her time at My Place. She formed a special bond with Ciera, a Clinical Case Manager at My Place. 

“I slowly built a relationship with Ciera when I realized that she was going to support me,” Laya recalls. “She helped me set up a bank account, learn to budget, taught me how to grocery shop and cook, and helped me explore applying to college. And she trusts me and gives me space to be myself.” 

What Support Means for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care 

Since moving into My Place after aging out of foster care, Laya’s life has taken a positive turn. When she first arrived, she kept to herself, but today, she is participating in group and social learning and is fully in the room as herself with her peers. She’s also been able to nurture her life-long passion for art and design and have the space to dream about and explore her future plans. 

“The staff at My Place has helped me to better understand what I need to be successful,” Laya shares. “I’m definitely better around people now, it’s still hard and not my favorite thing, but I can handle it better because I now feel empowered to understand when I need space and can give myself that. My anxiety is way lower than when I got here.” 

When you are constantly in survival mode, you’re not thinking about how to set boundaries or understand your mental health. When youth have the language to explain what is happening with their emotions and the tools to regulate their body when they are struggling, it can change their journey. 

“The staff at My Place helped me to recognize my triggers, communicate when I’m struggling, and know what I need to do to calm down,” shares Laya. “I’ve learned how to not let my mental health take over every moment. Now, I can recognize that things happen, but it doesn’t become your whole life, it just helps you understand what you need to work on.”

A Bright Future Ahead 

In the spring of 2025, Laya graduated high school early. My Place held a graduation party in June for her and other graduates to celebrate their tremendous accomplishments. In August of 2025, Laya will be leaving My Place. But she knows that it will always be a safe place for her. 

“I’m a little nervous to leave, but I believe in myself,” Laya explains. “I know that if I need to, I can reach back out to support staff at My Place after I move and they will always support me.”   

And, thanks to support from My Place, she will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in game design at Full Sale University this fall. 

“I did not think I was going to make it past 15, so I really can’t believe that I’m able to pursue art at a school now,” reflects Laya. “When I was a kid, I was sometimes punished or mocked for making art. My Place at The Buckeye Ranch really encouraged me to embrace my talents and achieve more than I ever thought possible. To go from being punished for making art to being enrolled in school to pursue an education and career in art … it’s just amazing.” 

We know that Laya’s art will be a positive force to help others on their own healing journeys. “I don’t know what the future holds, I just try to take it day by day,” Laya shares. “I try to keep my expectations realistic, but I do finally feel hopeful.”  Laya has a bright future ahead, and we can’t wait to cheer her on as she shines her light and spreads that hope. 

Interested in learning more about our My Place program? Visit our service page to learn more.  You can also support the healing journeys of more youth, like Laya, by making a life-changing gift in support of our programs today.