Dallas cafe hires foster youth after they age out of the system

Ciara Morton found a family at the La La Land Kind Cafe in Dallas.

Morton became a foster kid after suffering abuse at home. When she turned 18 and aged out of Texas' foster care system, she didn't have anywhere to go, but found hope at La La Land. "We're not in the business of coffee — we're definitely in the business of kindness," owner Francois Reihani told CBS News.

Reihani founded La La Land after learning about the struggles that former foster kids go through; in 2019, more than 1,200 Texas youth aged out of the system, and many became homeless. "Imagine being 18 and literally having no one and going out and being alone," Reihani said. He explained that he believes "we have a duty to our society to help the ones who are in need," and opened the cafe with the goal of hiring former foster kids and teaching them skills to help them now and in the future.

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So far, Reihani has hired nine former foster youth. Morton said La La Land provides a "support system," and she's thrilled to finally have people rooting for her. "That gives me ambition," Morton told CBS News. "It lets me work at my goals and believe in myself. That is my favorite part." Catherine Garcia

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