Jackson*, 12, and his older brother, Riley*, 14, were placed in the Family Care Network’s... Intensive Therapeutic Foster Care (ITFC) program after it was discovered that their mother wasn’t able to care for them. Their mother, having multiple unmet mental health needs, wasn’t a stable force in her children’s life which caused the boys to develop multiple mental health needs. Prior to being placed in ITFC, Riley struggled in school and did not communicate appropriately with others. Likewise, Jackson also struggled with communication, as he seemed only comfortable talking to his older brother. Both boys were in dire need of stable care and one-on-one support.

When placed with their Family Care Network ITFC foster family, the brothers had a hard time adjusting to the consistency of their new home and the support staff working with them. They resisted the support offered to them by their In-Home Support Counselors (IHCs), Mental Health therapists and their foster parents, opting instead to only interact with one another. It took a lot of time, patience and persistence on the part of staff and the boys’ foster parents before Riley and Jackson began to lower their defenses and trust that the adults in their life were there to help them, not hurt them.

The boys were always made to feel welcomed in their new home, yet it took their foster dad weeks of asking them to play catch before the boys actually agreed to participate. The boys started to play catch nightly, which helped them to begin to open up to their foster parents. One day, Riley asked for his foster mom’s help on a homework assignment and his foster mom felt as if she had just overcome a huge obstacle. As Riley and Jackson began to interact more with their foster parents, they bonded with them in signifcant ways. Soon, the parents and brothers were interacting like a family!

Riley and Jackson have been with their foster parents for almost a year now. In that time, their foster parents have filed for guardianship of the boys, as the boys have asked to remain with the family until their age of emancipation. While the boys still have a lot of growing and maturing to do, they do so now in a stable and supportive home.

To read more stories click here!

*names and photos of clients are ficticious to protect their identity