After years of instability following her time in foster care, teen pregnancy, and the traumatic removal of her children by CPS, Kasaundra found herself experiencing homelessness with nowhere to turn. Despite calling agencies across the state, only CATCH responded, connecting her with case manager Madison in June 2022. Together, they built a trusting relationship that allowed Kasaundra to rebuild her credit, obtain her driver’s license, maintain sobriety, and address long-neglected mental health needs. Through nearly two years in the CATCH program, Kasaundra moved from survival mode to stability, eventually graduating in April 2024 and moving into a four-bedroom home where she and her five children can finally thrive. Her story demonstrates that with the right support, dedication, and someone who believes in you, it’s possible to build a foundation for lasting success—as Kasaundra puts it, “What you do matters. It matters to somebody’s family. You’re saving somebody.”
Before CATCH
Kasaundra’s challenges began as a teenager in foster care. She had graduated early with dreams of attending law school, but found herself on her own before her 17th birthday and soon became pregnant with her daughter. “I wasn’t given the tools that I needed to survive with a child,” she reflects.
With no family support and an uninvolved father for her baby, she was thrust into motherhood without a safety net. Over the years, she met another partner, her now ex-boyfriend, and they built a family together, but she eventually discovered he was abusing her children. After reporting him for abuse, Child Protective Services (CPS) took her children out of her care. “It was pretty traumatizing for all of us,” she remembers.
What followed were years of displacement and instability as Kasaundra searched for support that never materialized. Eventually, she faced over a year of consistent homelessness in Idaho. She stayed in her deceased grandmother’s house—a home with no power or water that had been sitting in probate since her grandmother died the day her daughter was born. “I had to struggle for food,” she recalls. “I would go to the park and try to keep the kids distracted from what was actually going on.”
“Some people don’t see—when they’ve always had a home and they’ve always had stability—they don’t see how hard it is for somebody to get up and just get through the day,” she shares.
Kasaundra called every group she could find. Out of all the agencies across the state of Idaho, she says only one called back: CATCH.
“My heart was lifted. At that point I was staying at a shelter and had no direction on where to go. It was like a glimmer of hope,” she remembers.
During CATCH
In June 2022, Kasaundra was introduced to her case manager, Madison.
Kasaundra was Madison’s first client. “I was nervous and not entirely sure what to expect,” Madison recalls, “and I could feel Kasaundra may have felt the same way as she expressed she was weary of working with community agencies due to her past experiences.”
But together, they built something special. Madison became more than a case manager—she became a lifeline and advocate. “Any question I had, she never made me feel like I was stupid for asking,” Kasaundra remembers. When asked to describe Madison in three words, Kasaundra doesn’t hesitate: “Beautiful, amazing, perfect.”
When Madison was asked how she would describe Kasaundra, she shared that Kasaundra is “resolute, resilient, and kind-hearted.” As their partnership deepened, Kasaundra was connected to community resources and soon she received the keys to her first apartment.
Kasaundra describes that moment as transformative. “I felt safe. Like I didn’t have to struggle anymore,” she remembers. The joy her children felt as they entered their new home was unmistakable.
Together, Madison and Kasaundra tackled some crucial goals that had felt impossible before:
- Rebuilding Kasaundra’s credit score
- Getting Kasaundra’s driver’s license and registration renewed
- Maintaining sobriety
- Addressing mental health needs that had been neglected since Kasaundra was a teenager
“I wasn’t a priority. My kids were the priority,” Kasaundra shares. But working with Madison helped her understand that “taking care of my mental health was a priority for my kids too.”
Madison shares that Kasaundra showed up and stayed consistent with her goals. “She does the hard things even when she doesn’t want to, to ensure her kids are taken care of,” Madison recalls. “Kasaundra is an amazing and loving mom.” Madison attributes Kasaundra’s success to her ability to remain present, consistent, keep communication open, and implement and protect her own boundaries.
After CATCH
With CATCH’s support, Kasaundra was able to build two years of rental history. Today, she and her five children live in a spacious four-bedroom house in Nampa. Her children—now 13, 8, 6, 3, and 2—have space to be kids.
“We eat meals together, and we don’t have to really struggle for anything. Bills are paid. Things are peaceful and normal,” Kasaundra shares. “They’re able to worry about kid stuff instead of mom stressing out.”
While Kasaundra continues to face challenges, she has the stability to overcome them. She keeps in touch with Madison, and through all her transitions, the foundation that CATCH helped her build has remained solid.
“Working with Kasaundra and her children was an incredible experience,” Madison shares. “I am very grateful to Kasaundra for letting me walk alongside her throughout her journey. She and her children made a lasting impact on my life.” She continues to say that Kasaundra “utilized our program and took it for what it was worth and has blossomed.”
One of Kasaundra’s long-term goals is to buy a house someday. When asked about it, Madison shares, “I know she will make that happen one day because that is just the type of woman she is—the type of woman to make things happen. She truly is a total rockstar.”
To those who are experiencing homelessness, Kasaundra’s message is clear: “CATCH does their job, and they do it right. They care about everybody.”
For those supporting CATCH’s work, Kasaundra shares: “What you do matters. It matters to somebody’s family. You’re saving somebody.”
Through CATCH, she didn’t just find housing—she built a life where her children “have their rooms, they have their beds, and there’s nothing to worry about.”
Kasaundra graduated from the CATCH program in April 2024 after nearly two years of comprehensive support. She and her five children now live independently in their own home, a testament to the life-changing impact of community support, dedicated case management, and the transformative power of believing in someone when they need it most.