Hi! I’m Colby Ford — I’m from Longview, Texas, a father of three, and someone who lived the life this project is all about. I grew up in the foster care system from the age of six, navigating uncertainty, instability, and emotions I didn’t always have a safe way to express.

Today, I’m on a mission to give other kids in similar situations something I never had — a safe space to reflect, feel, and heal. That’s why I created A Place Called Me, a guided journal designed specifically for children in foster care, adoption, group homes, and big life transitions — a place where they can explore their emotions, honor their experiences, and find strength in their own stories.

Why This Project Matters So Deeply to Me

Growing up in the system was hard. Too often, kids like me became numbers, statistics, forgotten or overlooked — instead of being seen, heard, and supported. I know how much it means to have someone say, “Your story matters.” And that’s exactly the message this journal carries.

And the need for something like this is real:

📌 On any given day, there are over 500,000 children in the U.S. foster care system — and each one has a story waiting to be told.

📌 Every year about 20,000 youth age out of foster care without permanent family support — facing adulthood with little to no safety net.

📌 Nearly 1 in 5 foster youth will experience incarceration by age 21, and many face homelessness or instability without intervention.

📌 Foster youth also face lower educational outcomes — fewer graduate high school or go on to college compared to their peers.

These numbers aren’t just data — they’re real children who deserve better, stronger support than what the system currently provides.

What I’m Raising Funds For

The journal is complete — and the heart behind it is real. But to get this book into the hands of every child who needs it, I need help raising funds to:

📌 Find the right publisher — someone who understands this mission and can help us reach schools, group homes, foster families, adoption networks, and social workers.

📌 Scale distribution so that this journal is not just available, but accessible — especially to children who wouldn’t otherwise be able to find it.

📌 Partner with organizations and professionals who work directly with children in care so they can pass these journals out to kids who need it most.

Your support isn’t just funding printing or publishing — it’s investing in the emotional well-being of hundreds of thousands of children whose voices often go unheard.

How Your Support Helps Kids

When you back this project, you are helping to:

✨ Put a journal into the hands of foster kids, adopted children, group home youth, and other kids experiencing big changes.

✨ Create a resource that helps these kids process their feelings with dignity and support.

✨ Reach educators, social workers, counselors, and caregivers who can use this journal as a tool for healing and connection.

Imagine that — a single journal could be a safe place for a child to process hurt, confusion, resilience, hope, and strength. That’s the kind of impact we’re talking about.

Why This Isn’t Just a Book — It’s a Movement

This journal is more than words on a page. It’s a message to every child who has ever felt lost, forgotten, or unheard:

“Your feelings are real. Your story matters. And you are not alone.”

I lived it. I still feel it. And I know — deep in my bones — that had I had something like this when I was a kid, it would’ve helped me heal a little sooner and feel a little less alone.

With your help, we can bring that same hope to thousands of kids today — one page at a time.