Bianca (7) was 5 years old when she entered care due to neglect, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and witnessing domestic violence between her biological parents. Since arriving at the A. B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center, Bianca has lived in 4 different homes, each time attending a new school, in just the past two years.

As a result of moving schools often, Bianca was half a year behind in her academics. This impacted her confidence, and her work suffered. To get back on track she needed extra support. Her caregivers reached out to Promises2Kids, and through the Something Special Fund, Bianca’s tutoring services were funded.

Prior to starting tutoring, Bianca had low self-esteem in the classroom. Compared to her peers, she was behind in reading and math, but with her tutor’s support, her confidence is growing and she’s reading faster than ever before. She has also made strides on her subtraction problems, and the math homework that was once intimidating to her is now easier to successfully complete.

The extra help from tutoring has given Bianca a new perspective on school. It was once daunting as she was behind in her academics, but today Bianca is more confident in herself. Her tutors have given her a lot of encouragement, helping her look at school in a more positive and fun way. Bianca looks forward to her tutoring classes, especially when she gets to choose a new Pokémon card as a reward for finishing her homework. Her caregivers are grateful Bianca is getting the vital support she needs to catch up in her studies, and with an IEP in place, and tutoring, Bianca is more ready than ever before to take on first grade!

Support from people like you is the reason why, foster children like Bianca can receive the help they need to be on the same playing field as their peers.