DENVER — Dominique Mallard has built a loving home for her three kids — a home where they can play and paint as much as they want. Mallard is giving her kids everything she didn't have when she was younger.
"When I was a foster child, I felt like I needed stability. I needed stability, and I, honestly, I needed love. I needed a family," Mallard said.
She needed a home because, during her childhood, she was going from house to house. Mallard spent years in the foster care system.
"I went through 23 different homes, abused by foster parents," she said. "I didn't have a good time, nor a good experience in foster care."
So as soon as it was possible, Mallard made a life of her own on her own. Others would've left their time in the foster care system in the past, working to forget those memories. Instead, Mallard embraced her experiences, using them to help others who are now in the same position she was once in.
"I wanted something that these foster children or former youth could feel that they have a safety net that they have a family with us," Mallard said.
So, Mallard started C.A.R.E.S, or Children's Advocacy, Resources and Educational Services, which is a group meant to help kids in foster homes. The group started on Facebook, but eventually Mallard took to TikTok to talk about her time in the system.
The videos she made eventually garnered hundreds of views, comments and shares.
"I went to sleep, I woke up, my video hit over half a million," she said. "I never expected to blow up the way I did."
Despite all of comments and views on her videos, Mallard has been able to do exactly what she set out to — help those kids most in need.
"We've helped this girl pay her phone bill for three months. She was worried it was going on, she gave us a call. I found her a sponsor to do that," she said.
For Valentine's Day, Mallard and others a part of C.A.R.E.S made goodie bags to give to foster children and youth who'd reached out to her during some point.
"I'm not looking for praise and just looking for change, and that's where C.A.R.E.S is different," Mallard said.
Mallard said at the end of the day she decided to start the group because she wants foster children and youth across the county to have someone to talk to when they need it and to have loving interactions she didn't have.
