SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — If you've always wanted to help a foster child, but aren't in a position to adopt, becoming a mentor could be the right fit. Dozens of foster youth in San Diego County are currently on a waiting list to be matched with a mentor.
"Well I'm 15 now, so I've been in there for... I've been in foster care for 14 years," said Jeremiah.
The teen has lived through a lot of uncertainty. He remembers exactly how many times he's had to move.
"10 times... you think about, people say, 'oh that's not that much,' [but] moving 10 times within 15 years, from foster care, is a lot," he said.
With so much change, Jeremiah wants one constant in his life: a mentor he can rely on.
"I want a mentor I can hang out [with] and experience stuff that I've missed out in my life," said Jeremiah.
He's had one before and said they had fun together; going to the beach and having conversations that didn't involve the logistics of foster care - as he's often asked about by social workers. Jeremiah says they mostly ask about school and his placement.
"I don't want to talk about the placement, I want to talk about life and fun stuff," he said.
Jeremiah is one of more than 40 foster youth in San Diego County, who are currently on a waiting list to be paired with a mentor. Someone to help guide him as he looks to the future.
"I think I'm going to go to college for science... science, engineering and math mainly," he said. "I'm fun. I do love talking. I like talking about basically anything. I can get into a discussion about a spoon. I can get into a discussion about anything."
And with no parent there for him day in and day out, Jeremiah says a mentor would be his window to the world. Male or female, Jeremiah says, it doesn't matter.
"I just want someone to hang out with," he said. If they can be not only a mentor, but like a friend, that would be good."
If you are interested in adopting or becoming a foster family, please call 1-877-I-ADOPT-U or click here to access the free orientation schedule.
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