The Merlo Family Spotlight

It’s not often youth we served reaches out to connect with us, but when they do, we are overjoyed and excited to hear how they’re doing. Recently, Michael Merlo, whom we served through a child-focused recruitment program for older youth in foster care until he turned 18, wanted to reconnect with us and share his story.

From the System…

Michael was almost a teenager when he first entered foster care. Because of the sheer amount of youth in foster care in Texas and an ongoing shortage of foster families, he had to spend a couple of years in youth shelters before he was connected with a foster home. Unfortunately, many people who foster teenagers aren’t looking to adopt, so Michael knew he had to create a plan for himself for when he turned 18.

“I thought I was going to be on my own, so I told myself I had to do whatever it takes to be successful and not just become another number you see about foster kids,” said Michael.

He knew that kids who age out of foster care without a permanent family have the odds stacked against them. Only half of these kids will have a stable income by the time they turn 24. Less than 3% of them earn a college degree. Twenty-five percent of these kids experience homelessness, and within two years after aging out, 25% have been incarcerated.

To Two Families

So, Michael’s plan was to enlist in the Army. He had heard that not only does the military provide stability and discipline, but also a family and “brotherhood” he was seeking. While working with one of our case workers, Michael expressed that he wasn’t looking for adoption at this point, as he had already set his sights on finding family and stability with the Army, but he agreed to be connected with an informal mentor, Josue Merlo. A year and a half later, Josue would become his father.

“When I met my dad, I thought he was really funny, nice and well-rounded,” Michael told us. “I remember thinking, ‘I want to be like this one day.’”

Through this mentorship, Josue offered life advice, guidance and support. Josue and his wife Jessica ended up adopting Michael at 18, and he gained loving parents and brothers not a moment too late. Because of this newfound family, Michael Merlo had a home and family to go to when he finished with the Army. He is now driven by a strong sense of purpose, has completed his time in the Army and is starting college to eventually become a nurse. This drive also led him to reconnect with the team at Arms Wide.

Paying it Forward

“I decided that the best way I can give back to my community is to do anything I can to help parents choose to foster or adopt, as well as help the kids choose if they want to be adopted or mentored.”

Michael emphasized that even when kids are in a good home, being a foster kid comes with challenges that other kids don’t have. Regular activities like riding a bike and going to a water park must be reviewed by a case worker first, and spare time for other hobbies may be taken up by meetings, therapy appointments, and other potential state requirements. He hopes that his story will inspire foster kids to persevere.

“I want foster kids to know that although you will feel different, there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Michael said. “You don’t have to follow the path that people are telling you to, you can make your own.”