DCFYI

This short video shows what a young man can accomplish when he finds caring adults who believe in him.  

Demetrius is from New York, but came to DC this past summer for an internship with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI).  It was life-changing for him, but nothing is so life-changing as the role that Katie and John Napolitano have had and will have in his life. This fall, they will adopt Demetrius, now an NYU student, and two other young men they’ve been mentoring.  Demetrius spent nearly his whole childhood in foster care, with dozens of placements and little if any affection or support.  About having found his forever family, he says “What I lost when I was younger I’m getting tenfold now…and it’s the highest honor that I can call someone mom or dad….” 
 
This video is just four minutes long, but it shows the dramatic difference caring adults can make in a teen’s life.  And DCFYI mentors and adoptive parents would rush to say that it is not a one-way street: having these resilient and loving teens in our life brings us great joy.