Sam joined Friends of the Children earlier this year, a small but spunky kindergartener with a big personality. Three different community partners referred him to us. Each of them saw the same potential.

His mentor Emmit began visiting him at school and building a relationship with Sam and his family. Within a few months, Sam was no longer at that school, and our team couldn't reach his family. Rather than closing the door, Emmit kept looking. He checked in with school staff and relatives, staying connected to anyone who might know where Sam had gone.

Our school partner and the Native Education Department eventually let us know Sam had transferred. Our team built a partnership with his new school and got Emmit back into the classroom. When kindergarten graduation came, he was in the audience cheering Sam on.

Then summer came and Sam couldn't be found. For two months, the team looked for him.

When Sam's grandmother reached out to Emmit, we learned he was living with his aunt. Because our Program Director had built a relationship with the ICWA team, which works with Native families in child welfare cases, we reached Sam's caseworker within a day.

Soon after, Sam and his aunt came to the clubhouse to spend an evening with Emmit. They caught up, told stories, and started planning what comes next. Sam has since started at another school, and this one is already leaning in.

Sam's story is a reminder that this work isn't about enrolling kids in a program. It's about refusing to let a child disappear.

When a school changes, we build a new partnership. When a family is hard to reach, we keep finding doors. When a child moves, we find them again. And when they walk through ours, we're ready.