MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Twenty-four-year-old Tonya Bauer is a student at Winona State University. She is strong, smart and has used her past struggles as a child to make her a better person.

NewsRadio 830 WCCO’s Susie Jones Reports

When she was 4 years old, she was removed from her mother’s care due to chemical abuse issues. She eventually lived in many different foster homes.

Bauer says she found it difficult to visit her biological mother, and then return to her foster home. At one point she was adopted, but after a few years her adopted mother terminated her parental rights.

It’s been a series of disappointments, but surprisingly, Bauer isn’t bitter. She wants to try to make the system of dealing with children under state guardianship run more efficiently, and she encourages anyone considering adopting an older child to do so.

“Youth are just looking for roof over their head, and a loving supportive family,” she said.

For more information, contact the Minnesota Department of Human services at (651)431 4671 or go online at mnadopt.org.