A Journey of Struggle, Resilience, and Hope with CSKF  

Jesenia and her siblings grew up in the Coachella Valley. As a child, she believed she had a “pretty good” life. Her mother, a single parent dealing with substance abuse, seemed to be doing what she could to care for her children. But looking back, Jesenia now understands that what they were living through was not normal and it certainly wasn’t safe. 

At just 10 years old, a visit to the school nurse changed everything. Her feet hurt, and when the nurse removed her shoes, her toes were raw and bleeding. That moment triggered a call to Child Protective Services. At the time, Jesenia’s siblings were 14, 6, and 2 years old. 

It wasn’t until adulthood that Jesenia fully understood the conditions they had been living in: no running water, makeshift electricity illegally tapped from a county source, and a house they were squatting in. She remembers begging adults for help, but no one seemed to listen. What they were enduring was abuse—emotional, physical, and environmental. Her mother’s partner was violent, but Jesenia’s focus wasn’t on the adults around her. It was on protecting her siblings. 

When CPS stepped in, all four children were placed together with a foster parent. Jesenia didn’t understand what was happening, only that she felt responsible. If she hadn’t gone to the nurse, she thought, maybe they would still be with their mother. 

At first, the new home seemed better. There was running water, electricity, food, and school. But one day, Jesenia came home to something she will never forget. Her foster mother forcing her 2-year-old baby sister underwater during bath time, as her sister screamed and fought to breathe. Jesenia waited until she could safely tell the social worker, and as a result, she was removed from the home but her siblings were not. That day was the last time Jesenia ever lived under the same roof with them. 

                                                 

                                                 Desperate, she tried everything to get them back, even calling the                                                     previous foster mother and threatening to burn her house down. But                                                   nothing worked. That helplessness turned into anger, defiance, and                                                   a deep belief that she was alone in the world. From there, Jesenia’s                                                     life spiraled. She endured more abuse including physical, verbal,                                                       and sexual, all from people who were supposed to care for her.  

                                                 Then came Creative Solutions for Kids and Families (CSKF). 

                                                 Jesenia was placed with a CSKF foster parent named Camerina,                                                         her 16th placement, but her first real home. While she might have                                                       met a neighbor and the future father of her first child there, the                                                             relationship was abusive, manipulative, and toxic but she didn’t                                                           recognize it at the time. He was her age and said all the right things                                                   after every fight so she kept going back to him, “thinking it was                                                           love,” she said during her interview.  In time, Jesenia gave birth to                                                       her son. Her social worker made it clear: get on track, or lose                                                             custody. Still a child herself, she bounced from placement to                                                               placement because homes that accepted teen mothers were rare. 

For the first time, things felt different, however. “The CEO of CSKF didn’t just talk he showed up”, she recalls, “he advocated for the kids, brought us to the beach, amusement parks, and created a culture of trust.” Jesenia remembers him as “Boss Man,” always full of encouragement and wisdom. 

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Her assigned social worker, Linda, became another critical figure in her life. Linda empowered her to speak up and to believe she had a voice. She helped Jesenia apply for college, build her first resume, and prepare for job interviews. Through her foster mother, CSKF even funded driving lessons and helped her earn her license. Jesenia also learned how to budget, access community resources, and received a laptop to start college classes. 

For the first time, she had hope and a future. 

CSKF gave Jesenia something no one else had: the belief that she mattered and that her life could mean more than survival. Without CSKF, she said, “I would’ve gone back to the streets and likely ended up addicted or with more children before the age of 15” but instead, she chose a different path. 

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Now, Jesenia is a proud mother to six biological children and a spiritual daughter she’s helped raise since the age of four. Her children range in age from toddler to teenager, and she’s committed to raising them with faith, purpose, and love and she hopes to one day introduce them to her siblings, whom she’s not seen since.  

She often reflects on the lessons she learned from her final foster mother, Camerina (who later adopted four children of her own and is presently retired in Mexico). Jesenia lives by the belief that "tomorrow is never promised," and instead of letting her past define her, she chooses to keep moving forward. 

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“I choose to motivate myself and turn my negativity into energy, which continues to propel me forward,” she says. 

Today, Jesenia and her husband are working toward returning as foster parents themselves—through CSKF. Their goal is to reopen their home to youth who need exactly what Jesenia once did: a real chance. 

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Jesenia’s story is one of heartbreak, survival, and transformation. And at the center of that transformation was a foster family agency that refused to give up on her.  

CSKF isn’t just a foster care agency, it’s a lifeline for youth navigating some of life’s darkest moments. When kids are placed with families who are trained, supported, and deeply committed to making a difference, the outcome can change everything. 

If you're thinking about becoming a foster parent, know this: you could be the turning point in someone’s life just like CSKF was for Jesenia.