Blake Boshers wore the math on his T-shirt: 6 years, 6 months and 27 days in Tennessee's custody before he found his forever family. The Nashville teen and his adoptive mother, Savannah, shared that journey at the Tennessee State Capitol this week, marking the end of a wait that began when he was just eight years old.
Blake spent more than six years in state custody, according to WKRN News 2, much of that time in residential facilities rather than a family home. Savannah first met him when he was eight years old, overseeing the team handling his case at the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, where she has worked for 11 years, including seven as a supervisor. Even then, she says she made him a promise that someone would eventually give him a chance.
As Savannah recounted to WKRN, potential foster parents reviewed Blake’s paperwork over the years but declined to take him in. When he turned 15, she decided to adopt him herself.
A Shared Journey at the Capitol
Blake and Savannah have lived together for nearly a year. Their Capitol recognition with Gov. Bill Lee took place during National Adoption Month. Savannah’s shirt welcomed Blake into the family, emphasizing that their bond was built on loyalty rather than blood. She told WKRN that his progress over the past year had been remarkable, following six years in residential facilities.
Blake told WKRN he likes being seen and having people who care about him. He hopes other children in foster care can see that their circumstances need not define their futures. Savannah hopes their experience encourages families to consider older children, including those who have faced significant challenges and can be harder to place.
Why Older Foster Youth Struggle to Find Homes
Blake’s experience comes amid broader concerns about finding homes for older youth. A policy specialist cited by Tennessee Lookout said older children and teens are harder to place because fewer foster homes are willing to take them. A report covered by The Tennessean also raised concerns about placement instability in the state.
Blake’s story offers one example of an older youth moving from residential care into a permanent family home. State data also provides context for the placement challenges older youth can face.
Placement patterns and pathways to permanence
The 2024 Tennessee Child and Family Services Review found that youth ages 11 to 16 had the highest placement-move rate per 1,000 days in care and accounted for 58% of moves on that measure, according to the U.S. Children’s Bureau. Tennessee DCS describes foster care as temporary and says it seeks other permanent options when a child cannot safely return home. The department says youth in its custody receive an Independent Living Plan at ages 14 to 16 or a Transition Plan at 17 and older, regardless of permanency goals or placement. For adoption of a child in DCS guardianship, prospective parents need a formal home study by a licensed child-placing agency and must submit it for a specific child, according to Tennessee DCS and its adoption guidance.
How Families Step In
Savannah's and Blake's story isn't the only one of its kind in Tennessee. Youth Villages, a Memphis-based organization founded in 1986, recruits and trains foster parents across the state to provide safe, stable homes for children in need, and says nearly 400 foster parents currently help children through its program. The organization also offers counseling, ongoing support and resources to help foster families navigate the process, along with virtual information sessions for anyone considering becoming a foster parent.
One of those foster parents, Donna Neal, has fostered in Middle Tennessee for 14 years and provided a home to more than 150 children, mostly teenagers. Neal eventually adopted 15-year-old Becca, with the full support of her own family, a path that mirrors the kind of leap Savannah made for Blake. Prospective foster parents in Tennessee must complete eligibility requirements, background checks and training before a child is placed with them.
For Blake and Savannah, the adoption process is behind them. What lies ahead, they say, is the rest of their lives together as a family built on something other than blood.
