Marion Rogers became a licensed foster parent with Kaleidoscope in 1985 and has since opened her home – and her heart – to dozens of children. When permanency legislation passed in 1996, Ms. Rogers decided to adopt the twin boys in her care and a few years later adopted a third foster child. Even with the hectic demands of raising three children, Marion provided emergency foster care and was an active member of the Kaleidoscope Foster Parent Association’s Policy Committee.

Aside from her experience as a foster parent, Marion has a special ability to work with the biological families of her foster kids. Five years ago, we asked Marion to help us with the placement of a young boy in the process of returning home and told her the transition would happen fairly quickly. We chose Marion for this child because, quite simply, she is a unique and gifted foster parent. However, four years and many reasons later, a court decided against returning this child to his parents. When asked, Marion made the commitment, without hesitation, to take guardianship of him.

These are just a few examples of the love and commitment Marion has shown our kids. Now, over 22 years later and with four more kids of her own at home, Marion has retired from fostering. We had the pleasure of celebrating Marion’s dedication to the children of Kaleidoscope at the 22nd Annual Foster Parent Awards Banquet in December.

While it’s impossible to quantify the impact she has had on the lives of the kids she has cared for or the families she has touched, we do know that Kaleidoscope is richer for having known her.

From all of your friends at Kaleidoscope, a big Thank You, Marion, and happy retirement!

Shania’s father left long ago. Her mother could not, would not give up drugs and alcohol. Shania lived as a ward of the state most of her life and finally moved into her aunt’s house at age 15. But Shania, having known nothing but rejection and trying to reconcile her anger and love of her mother, treated her aunt badly. Shania was failing classes in school and on a downhill path toward her own destruction.

Shania was referred to Kaleidoscope in the summer of 2008 as an at-risk teenage foster youth. Shania’s aunt was willing to do whatever she could to keep her in her home, but she needed help soon or she would lose Shania. Shania was reluctant to talk to Lauren, her family worker, and the other team members assigned to her case. She was often found staring into space, seemingly asleep with her eyes open. Lauren’s team met daily, brainstorming new ways to engage her and provide her opportunities to open up.

The week before Christmas, members from her Kaleidoscope team showed up at her door, holding a giant, red box adorned with gold ribbons and ornate bows. With big eyes, Shania said flatly, “That’s a beautiful box.” Knowing that Shania half-expected a gift from Kaleidoscope, Lauren told her that this gift was not from Kaleidoscope, but a donor, her "Secret Santa." Shania took the lid off the box, finding the things she’d been wishing for: drawing paper, pencils and crayons, a digital camera and a bottle of perfume she’d always “tested” at the store. Then, Shania began crying. Smiling, Lauren asked why she was crying. Shania said, “No one had ever been nice to me.”

Lauren sees that day and that gift from a stranger as the catalyst that changed Shania. Shania opened up and began talking about what was on her mind. Shania began accepting the love her aunt gave her. In four months, Shania went from failing grades to the honor roll! And if there’s any question that that simple gift was part of what helped her make a change, just look to the foot of her bed where there sits a giant, red box wrapped in gold ribbons still adorned with ornate bows.

As students in college, our biggest fear given the state of the economy is probably the impending job market. In addition to competing with hundreds of applicants for a select number of jobs, one disadvantage many graduates will have is their lack of employment experience. Due to the competitive nature of obtaining a job, many students are vigorously pursuing internships that will not only prepare them for the professional road ahead, but will also allow them to form vital relationships within the job market. 

Though good connections are extremely helpful to a successful career, for some, these connections are not so easily obtained. Through the Find Your Future program, college students who are cared for by the state of Illinois are paired with Chicago area businesses for ten weeks with paid internships. Many of these students have encountered various obstacles in the child welfare system, yet every one of these students (in order to be eligible for the program) is enrolled in college and maintains at least a 2.5 GPA.

The Find Your Future program is sponsored by Kaleidoscope and DCFS, not to mention the numerous businesses who make this program so successful. There are always business professionals available to give advice, and the staff at kaleidoscope and DCFS are by far the biggest component of this support system. The director of the Find Your Future program, Abbie See, places each intern with a business, but it doesn’t stop there. Not only do the creators of this program place students in very good internships, they also hold a number of workshops and networking opportunities geared to preparing us for the professional world. 

Last summer, with the Find Your Future program, I was placed with Streetwise magazine and served as an intern writer. Through this internship, I learned a lot about journalism and even had my work published in the magazine; most of all, I formed lasting relationships with my employer and the staff. From this program, we are provided with experiences that require professionalism and test our abilities. Through the rigorous internships we learn time management, discipline and effective communication skills. What skills we didn’t pick up from our internship were enforced by the Find Your Future mandatory workshops, which included classes on business etiquette and building a resume.

Shanicka Burdine, a senior at the University of Illinois, interned at the Cook County Juvenile Child Protection Division as a court coordinator intern last summer. When asked about her internship, she replied, “I never imagined myself working in a courtroom, at least not at this point in time. Even if our internships weren’t paid, the experience itself is worth it.” Another student who participated in the program is Victoria Nelson. Victoria is also enrolled at the University of Illinois and is a biology major. She plans on applying to the Find Your Future program next year: “I’m definitely applying next year, mainly because I know with Find Your Future there are people who want me to succeed. They don’t just place you in these internships; they provide a support system which makes it impossible for you to fail.”

The Find Your Future program truly lives up to its name, helping students prepare for their futures. As a college student, I may still have fears of the uncertainty of the job market, but I rest easy knowing that I’ve been prepared for whatever I will find in my future.


Jacqui Batts is a senior at the University of Illinois majoring in journalism and a 2009 alumna of Find Your Future.