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SALT LAKE CITY — When most people head to the barber shop, it's to get a clean cut and a fresh look. However, on Wednesday, Dayton walked into Brick's Barbershop in Salt Lake City for a fresh start.
"I'm going to be put on TV and try to get adopted," he said.
The 16-year-old knows what he wants his fresh start to look like.
"I just picture a lot of love and happiness," he said.
Dayton hopes to go to barber school soon, so chose a place he feels comfortable to answer the uncomfortable questions. As he sat in the barber's chair getting a cut, he told KSL TV his story.
Dayton talked about his first night living in foster care — that was almost five years ago.
"My first night gone, I cried," he said.
As if living in foster care isn't tough enough, one night not too long ago, he cried even more tears.
"I asked if I could talk to my mom and (the man) said, 'She wasn't there anymore,' and then I found out the next day that she was dead," Dayton recalled.
For Dayton, it was a turning point.
"I realized I'm going to end up dead or in jail if I continue this way, and so I asked to be put up for adoption," he said.
Dayton said now he feels hopeful, happy, and a little hesitant about the future.
"I'm going to do my best and try to get adopted and stay out of trouble," he said.
Dayton knows the best way to do that is with a solid foundation — a family.
"I'm a good kid," he said. "I have my ups and downs, but I also know I can have good relationships."
To learn more about Dayton, or the many other children living in the Utah Foster Care system, contact The Utah Adoption Exchange at 801-265-0444.
