Finding Her Voice: Samantha’s Story

At just four years old, Samantha had never known the safety of a stable home. Born to a mother who struggled with addiction, Samantha experienced neglect and violence from her earliest days.

She was placed in institutional care before her third birthday and remained there for the next year and a half. During this critical, formative time in her life, she was surrounded by the walls of an orphanage rather than the arms of a loving family.

While in the orphanage, it became clear that Samantha was a little girl who had learned not to trust the world around her. She was serious and withdrawn, rarely speaking and rarely connecting with others. She didn’t interact with children her own age.

Like many children who spend their early years in institutional care, Samantha had fallen behind developmentally. And yet, nobody knew the full picture of the challenges she was facing.

Thankfully, that was about to change.

A New Beginning

In October 2025, Samantha was welcomed into the home and hearts of a foster family. For a little girl who had never experienced the stability of family life, it was the beginning of a new chapter.

The early days weren’t easy. Having grown up without enough to eat, Samantha struggled to control her food intake. She often overate and asked for food constantly. 

She had a hard time settling at night and struggled to stay focused. She was initially afraid of the family’s dogs. And most strikingly, she rarely spoke, staying silent whenever anyone besides her foster mother was nearby.

Her foster family soon discovered there was more to Samantha’s story than anyone had realized. A pediatrician identified developmental and health conditions connected to her mother’s substance use during pregnancy, conditions that had gone undetected during her time in institutional care. This discovery helped her foster family and our team better understand the support Samantha would need to grow and heal.

With that understanding, Samantha’s foster family developed strategies to help her as much as possible. They established steady routines for meals and bedtime. They sought out pediatric care, speech therapy, and specialists to support her development. And little by little, they began to earn her trust.

Samantha began making progress in several developmental areas—but the most remarkable change was this: she stopped staying silent.

Finding Her Voice

When Samantha first arrived in foster care, she lived with selective mutism—speaking only one-on-one with a trusted person, and going quiet the moment anyone else was near. She didn’t play with other children. She rarely shared what she was thinking or feeling at all.

But slowly, as the safety of her new home began to sink in, something shifted. Her foster mother began to notice small moments of connection: Samantha repeating words back, asking simple questions, humming songs to herself.

Her foster family learned that she enjoyed dancing and singing children’s songs. They worked with her on identifying and expressing emotions, so she could communicate what she was feeling.

With patience and consistency, those small moments grew. She began speaking up at school. She started playing alongside other children in her foster family’s life.

Today, Samantha has found her voice. Although she still tends to be quiet around unfamiliar faces, she talks, sings, and laughs freely when she feels safe and loved.

Growing Every Day

Samantha’s health has required ongoing attention, and her foster family has shown up for every appointment. They held her hand through pediatric visits, hearing tests, speech therapy, dental care, and consultations with specialists. Each appointment, each follow-up, has been one more way her family has shown her she is worth caring for.

Her progress has been steady. She has better awareness of portion sizes during meals. She’s no longer afraid of the family pets. In fact, she now calls them “her dogs.” She has grown more comfortable asking for help, more confident showing off her artwork, and more willing to try new things, from working with clay to learning her colors and animals.

She has also grown close to her foster family, bonding with them more each day. Though they aren’t a family who usually makes a big deal of celebrations, when her birthday came, they made sure Samantha had a party and a cake of her own—and felt loved every moment of it.

Every Child Deserves a Family

Samantha still has more growing to do. Developmental delays, ongoing health needs, and the ordinary challenges of being four years old are all still part of her story.

But she is no longer the silent little girl who arrived cautious and afraid. Through the love of a family, she has hope for the future.

This is only possible because of you. Thank you for allowing children like Samantha to discover what it means to be part of a safe, loving family. Thank you for helping Samantha, and children around the world, find their voice.

Together, we are changing the way the world cares for orphans—because every child deserves a family.

*The child’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.