Former local foster kid, musician featured on shows
Snelling was on ‘American Idol’ and ‘The Voice.’
A country music musician featured on programs like “American Idol” and “The Voice” returned to his birthplace this week to reflect on a journey that started with Montgomery County foster care and adoption caseworkers.
“The feeling of knowing that the community that I had here in the Dayton area as a baby, you know, and knowing that they still support me and have my best interests at heart is an indescribable feeling,” said Jackson Snelling, 22.
Snelling, who now lives in Indiana, shared his story with Montgomery County caseworkers at an appreciation luncheon held at Haines Children’s Center in Dayton on Thursday afternoon ahead of his performance in the United Way of Greater Dayton’s “Stronger Together Concert” on Friday.
Snelling said he and his older brother, now 24, were both adopted from Montgomery
County Children Services when the younger Snelling was an infant. He and his brother both have autism.
“Not only did my mom and my dad adopt two kids from a broken home, with a lot of baggage. They also adopted two kids with autism,” he said.
Snelling first started singing when he would use sign language and sing along to songs to help his brother, who was nonverbal. After years of therapy and other programs, his brother can speak.
“Now he talks all the time,” Snelling joked. “But just that (experience) should show you or kind of explain to you guys the kind of people that my mom and my dad are,” he said. “They taught me how to love.”
Snelling was a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice” in 2023. Jackson was also a 2021 “American Idol” contestant. He told caseworkers on Thursday that he’s moving to Nashville in the spring and will be putting out his first single since being on The Voice.
At any given time, more than 100 children in our community are waiting to be adopted, according to Montgomery County Children Services.
Roughly 22 years ago, Jennifer Stokes was the caseworker advocating for the two brothers. She said Thursday
that she was an adoption caseworker for 12 years, a time period where she saw many children finding family.
Montgomery County is experiencing a shortage in foster care providers, with the number of children in need of care far outpacing the number of foster parents locally.
There are more than 680 children in Montgomery County’s custody as of this week, according to children services.
Stokes said Snelling is a voice and encouragement for foster youth.
“Every child we work with is unique, and they deserve the very best of our time and attention to find this right fit,” Stokes said. “This young man’s story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. From the uncertainty and turbulence of foster care, he found a guiding light in his adoptive family.”