Category: Stories of Hope

ACH Volunteers: Meet Melissa

Volunteer to Employee

Melissa Burdett called ACH when she was in the process of moving from Oregon to Texas to attend graduate school at TCU and begin the Karyn Purvis Institute. She then volunteered at our Robert and Jane Ferguson Residential Treatment Center for a year. Melissa is a TBRI® practitioner, which stands for Trust Based Relational Intervention. This trauma-informed response was created by the Karyn Purvis Institute and is practiced by the ACH staff.

ACH Volunteer Services Manager Megan Stephenson shares, “Melissa has been a joy with her knowledge of TBRI. She’s been so helpful to teach others because of her expertise.”

Melissa shares her experience as an ACH volunteer:  

When I first called Megan to speak with her about volunteering at ACH, she told me about the teenagers at the Residential Treatment Center (RTC). I’m a foster/adoptive mom of five and teenagers are not new to me, yet I was intimidated by the idea of teens in a residential placement.  What would they be like? Would I be able to connect with them? I’m used to little ones in care that can snuggle up next to me and read books or sing songs, little ones who look to me for connection, safety, and love.  But teenagers in residential care??  That’s a whole different galaxy, isn’t it? I mean, what if they don’t like me?  I’m embarrassed to admit it. A part of me still worries about being rejected and I wondered how the teens would respond to me. 

Then I met them. They turned my world upside down in the best ways.

Each Tuesday night I hop in the van and drive to Fort Worth to hang out with some incredible people.

We’ve painted pictures, planted a garden, had Nerf wars, made paper airplanes, played basketball, drew a Monopoly board in chalk, conquered Wordle, chased each other around with foam burritos and laughed, talked, and laughed some more. 

“I’ve seen the changes in them through their artwork, once so dark and tormented, now displaying hope, color, joy, and growth.”

These kids have been through so much. Trauma has hit them hard, but at the end of the day, they are still kids longing to know that they are worthy of love, that they are seen, heard, and valued.  They are kids who want to know that they are not forgotten or discarded.  They are precious regardless of their survival behaviors.

A trusting relationship with a safe adult can radically change the trajectory of a child’s life, altering brain chemistry and healing neuropathways. Many think it’s too late for teens to experience healing, but in fact, the brain is very open to change, growth, and repair in the teen years. 

Over the course of nine months at ACH, I have seen incredible growth in some of the teenagers.  Many have moved on to supported transitional housing.  Some are nearing graduation out of the RTC and into a foster home or relative placement. I’ve seen the changes in them through their artwork, once so dark and tormented, now displaying hope, color, joy, and growth. There is an openness, dreams for the future, connection with friends and family–even connection with me.

A part of my heart is with these kids always.  I can’t help but feel connected to them and their stories, invested in their growth and healing. In fact, I became so invested that now I find myself privileged to be on staff with ACH.  I love getting to see kids in many of the ACH programs and watch their progress!

Serving at ACH has given me the opportunity to love kids who at face value may appear unlovable. Perhaps I have made their days a little brighter and showed them that they aren’t forgotten.  Perhaps I have contributed a bit to their growth and transformation. But I can tell you for sure they have changed me. They have taught me that every person regardless of their background or behavior is worthy of love, care, and connection. Underneath that survival behavior lies a precious human.  This is true of all of us – each and every one.  I pray that I can live my life through a lens of compassion because I have seen firsthand that compassion brings connection and connection changes lives.

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Melanie’s Journey

One Mom's Journey to Freedom

ACH's Families Together program helps Melanie find confidence in herself to be the mom she aspires to be for her son.

Research shows that it can take up to 7 attempts to leave before a survivor permanently leaves an abusive partner. The main reason women have a difficult time leaving is fear of where they will go or who they could turn to for help. Oftentimes their partner has isolated them from friends and family leading them to believe there is no other life to aspire to.

Melanie had been told by her abuser for years that no one loved or cared about her. Since childhood, she craved the love and support every child needs and deserves. She lost her mother to suicide and was neglected by her father. Seeking affirmation from men in relationships became what she chased after. It didn’t take long before she was mixed in with the wrong crowd, making poor decisions, and losing every ounce of self-worth she had in herself. She continued in the pattern of pursuing toxic, abusive relationships and drug use throughout high school and into her adult years.

When something has been rooted so deep within you, the habits seem nearly impossible to uproot, especially on your own.

Melanie reconnected with her high school boyfriend, Jacob. He showed her affection, told her he’d do anything for her, and wanted to take care of her. Having already broken all relationships with her family, she agreed to move to another state to be with him. She didn’t think there was anything in Texas for her anymore. After a short time into their relationship, the two lost their first child together before birth, which Melanie believed strengthened their bond together. Despite the present abuse, the heartache brought them closer and would sustain their relationship even longer.

Trapped With No Clear Way Out

Melanie would soon feel more alone than she could ever imagine. Jacob wouldn’t allow her to have a job, make friends, or have any sense of freedom. She was able to remain in contact with her sister, who continued to listen but given her past life choices, kept her at arm’s length.

Melanie had experienced narcissistic control and verbal and emotional abuse in her previous relationships, but the physical abuse continued to increase with Jacob’s growing drug use. Not having anywhere else to go or anyone else to turn to, she would endure the abuse day after day.

Every time she attempted to escape, Jacob wooed Melanie back. Each time, Melanie took inventory of her life and believed Jacob’s words, “No one else could possibly care about me. He’s the only one that loves me. This must be what love looks like.” With no other option or hope for a better life, Melanie always returned to captivity.

Then Melanie became pregnant again. The turmoil to leave remained, but now with a baby almost here, she couldn’t risk trying to leave and stepping into the unknown. The final month of her pregnancy was an absolute nightmare of torment and abuse. It was the worst she had ever experienced and continued after her son was born. “Jacob continued using drugs, the physical abuse worsened, and he would drive erratically with our son in the back. It was terrifying.”  

“I hadn’t been there for very long and didn’t know people very well, yet I really felt at home at that moment.”

-- Melanie, upon moving into Families Together

Relief came a month after her son was born. Jacob was finally arrested for giving Melanie black eyes. With the car in her name, Melanie made her way back to Texas. She secured temporary stays for her and her son with different nonprofits and organizations. Yet, in the midst of fear and continued lack of support, the temptation of past securities continued to haunt her. Melanie relapsed into her former drug use, severing any trust she had begun to build in her relationship with her family. She hated herself for it – again thinking very little of herself. Gazing at her son, she knew he needed better, if not for herself, she wanted more for him. Melanie committed to begin the slow process of cleaning herself up. She found organizations that would give her and her son a roof over their head and hope for another day. After a 30-day stay at A Better Tomorrow, she got connected to ACH’s Families Together program.

Families Together Became a Place to Call Home

Melanie remembers her and her son’s first month living at Families Together. The ACH team along with the other moms and their kids were making and decorating Halloween cookies. Melanie recalls seeing her son with icing all over his face when an ACH team member noticed, commented, and they all laughed together. A seemingly insignificant moment meant so much to Melanie, “I hadn’t been there for very long and didn’t know people very well, yet I really felt at home at that moment.” She felt embraced and supported.

The Families Together team encouraged Melanie to slow down and take some time to care for herself and her own healing. Family Care Specialist Sharla Hosford remembers her first impression of Melanie: “She was unsure of herself and what she was doing. She would beat down on herself. We wanted to help her see that she is worth it, has value, and is capable of accomplishing so many things.”

Melanie needed others to believe in her so she could learn to also believe in herself. She was very open and receptive to all the resources and help Families Together offered. She attended the weekly Nurture Group with the other moms where they supported each other, shared parenting advice, and learned from one another.

While at Families Together, Melanie not only experienced mental and emotional healing, but practical steps toward growth and independence. She was able to find day care for her son so she could work, provide insurance coverage for her and her son, purchase a car, and save money to one day live on her own.

“I love empowering moms to believe in themselves again and helping each of them realize what it took to get here. They’ve been torn down for so long – we help to build them back up.”

-- Sharla Hosford, Family Care Specialist

One of the most significant ways Sharla and the rest of the team were present in supporting Melanie was in the rebuilding of her family relationships. They reminded her that things take time, the trust needed to be gained back, and to be encouraged by her growth. Melanie was growing – in her confidence, in her self-awareness, in her independence. In her humble wisdom, Melanie shares, “One of the main things I’ve learned is that things take time. You didn’t mess up everything up in one day – it was gradual. And it’s going to take even longer to fix those things and rebuild, especially relationships.” Melanie’s family saw her commit to ACH’s Family Together program for the entire year and a half, which was a new feat for her.

Melanie always prioritized the wellness of her son. He gave her boldness, hope, and confidence to seek change. They soon were able to move into their own apartment. A huge accomplishment.

Finally Finding Sustainable Freedom

It has been over a year since Melanie moved into her own apartment with her son and left ACH’s Families Together program. She not only finds freedom from her abuser, but the past that haunted her. She’s confident in herself, in what she and her son deserve, and strives for her dreams again. She’s going to school to one day become a counselor.

“I am really grateful for ACH. I feel like if I hadn’t been here, I don’t know where I would be.”

Being at ACH allowed Melanie the opportunity to get her feet under her, know her self-worth, and take back control of her life. ACH’s Families Together program has a great impact because of the care of employees like Sharla, who is passionate about helping moms and families: “I love empowering moms to believe in themselves again and helping each of them realize what it took to get here. They’ve been torn down for so long – we help to build them back up.”

Names changed to protect privacy.

*Did you know that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month? In Texas, 183 women were killed by a male intimate partner in 2020. 45% of those women were in the process or had made attempts to leave the relationship (Texas Council on Family Violence, 2020). On average, a victim will leave and return to the abuser 7 times before leaving that relationship permanently (The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 2022).

What is Families Together?
A blue paintbrush line graphic.

ACH’s Families Together Program provides transitional housing for mothers and their children who are experiencing homelessness due to intimate partner domestic violence. The program offers a safe and stable living environment while they work to overcome the trauma that led to their homelessness and return to independent living. Families receive intensive case management and therapeutic services designed to help them heal from the trauma and victimization they’ve experienced while gaining the skills they need to promote long-term self-sufficiency and obtain stable housing.

Support Moms Like Melanie

Palio’s Pizza Café

Palio's Pizza Café Provides More than Pizza for ACH Families

Victims of intimate partner domestic violence enjoy dinner with their kids before participating in healing, volunteer-led nurture groups

Every Wednesday for the past year, the team at Palio’s Pizza Café has been generously providing a meal for the mothers and their children in ACH’s Families Together program. The team has never met the moms and many have never visited an ACH campus. But they remain steadfast in providing meals for these families week after week.

The ACH team connected with owner Dave Hoffman to learn more about how a simple meal request during Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October of 2021 turned into an ongoing partnership.* It turns out that Dave knew one meal just wasn’t enough. He wanted to do more so he initiated an opportunity to continue supporting Families Together.

A family-focused business

Dave opened the Palio’s Pizza Café on Bryant Irvin, the first of three locations, in 2007. Dave has a giving spirit and makes sure his staff and customers are both well appreciated and cared for. He models empathy and encourages his team to be the change they want to see. Catering Manager Charity Mullins remembers enjoying many pizzas with her family before she joined the team. “A heart of generosity and a culture of caring is what Dave has passed down to his team,” shares Charity. Dave has been like an uncle to her, their families have grown up together, and Charity says the warmth you feel as a guest is spread from the care you feel as an employee.

“We see a need and we want to help fill it. This is such a cool thing we get to do. It’s more than just making pizza. As long as there is a need, we are happy to help.”

-- Charity Mullins, Palio’s Pizza Café

Charity has enjoyed learning more about ACH throughout the partnership. At each visit, Megan Stephenson, ACH Volunteer Coordinator, shares updates on the program with the Palio’s team. Charity confesses, “This is close to my heart. My cousin was almost in foster care due to a domestic violence situation and I have family members that were almost placed in the foster care system. ACH has become close to my heart. It’s more personal.” The families in ACH’s care recently expressed their gratitude to Palio’s and presented them with a ‘thank you” poster. With a big smile, Charity remembers the joy they felt when receiving it. “It made it more real. We’re impacting people.”

Palio’s Pizza Café provides a meal for all the mothers and their children in ACH’s Families Together program once every week. One week they provide pizza and the next pasta dishes. Their team is service oriented. The number of mothers in the Families Together program fluctuates throughout the year, but the Palio’s team is ready for any order change to accommodate all the mouths to feed. As the number of families in the program has increased, they graciously have continued to supply more. One year ago, they provided 4 pizzas and a small salad on a pizza night. With a full house today, they are providing 8 pizzas and 2 large catering salads.

Our volunteers turn a nourishing meal into nurturing

On these pizza and pasta nights, the mothers participate in a volunteer-led Nurture Group where they encourage one another, learn parenting skills, and heal from their past. The kids also take part in a separate Nurture Group that supports children healing from trauma. The meals provided by Palio’s Pizza Café relieve the single moms from dinner duty and provide an opportunity to enjoy a meal and time with their kids before group time.

ACH is grateful to community partners like Palio’s Pizza Café for their continuing support of our programs. We know that the moms in Families Together really look forward to and appreciate their generosity. We encourage you to pay it forward—stop in, have a meal, and thank the folks at Palio’s for caring for those less fortunate.

*Did you know that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month? In Texas, 183 women were killed by a male intimate partner in 2020. 45% of those women were in the process or had made attempts to leave the relationship (Texas Council on Family Violence, 2020). On average, a victim will leave and return to the abuser 7 times before leaving that relationship permanently (The National Domestic Violence Hotline, 2022).

What is Families Together?
A blue paintbrush line graphic.

ACH’s Families Together Program provides transitional housing for mothers and their children who are experiencing homelessness due to intimate partner domestic violence. The program offers a safe and stable living environment while they work to overcome the trauma that led to their homelessness and return to independent living. Families receive intensive case management and therapeutic services designed to help them heal from the trauma and victimization they’ve experienced while gaining the skills they need to promote long-term self-sufficiency and obtain stable housing.

Learn More About Families Together

Meet Suzie

Suzie’s daughter struggles with drug addiction. One weekend the daughter brought Suzie’s 4 grandchildren, ages 2-17, to visit Suzie and never returned. Suzie found herself as the full-time caregiver for all 4 grandchildren, while Suzie herself lives on a fixed Social Security income. Suzie encountered obstacles she never knew existed when caring for kinship children. She needed to enroll her grandchildren in school but was unable to because they did not have the appropriate legal paperwork. Fortunately, Suzie found ACH’s Kinship Navigator program through an online search. 

A Kinship Navigator specialist was aware of the McKinney-Vento Act, which ensures that each homeless child or youth has equal access to the same free, appropriate public education as provided to other children and youths. She was able to contact the school district’s McKinney-Vento liaison and get Suzie’s school-aged children enrolled in school.  

The Kinship Navigator was able to help Suzie apply for state Medicaid, SNAP benefits, and TANF, as well as get the one-time grandparent grant for each of her four grandchildren. Suzie met with a specialist in her home once a month, helping to apply for benefits and helping Suzie to set and achieve goals. One of Suzie’s goals was to get her older grandchildren into counseling. This was a difficult task because Suzie had no legal paperwork naming her as the children’s guardian. Over time, Suzie and her Kinship Navigator specialists were able to contact Suzie’s daughter and have a Power of Attorney form notarized, giving Suzie the ability to schedule doctor checkups and counseling sessions for the children. 

When Suzie came to the Kinship Navigator program she was lost and hopeless. Now, with the help of her Kinship Navigator Specialist, she is working towards helping her grandchildren connect and thrive through creating positive childhood experiences and is well on her way to receiving legal conservatorship. 

Are you or someone you know raising children for a relative? Don’t go it alone, we can help.

Learn More About Kinship Navigator

Arianne’s Story

Consistency brings comfort to a young lady facing constant change

Change hinders the building of healthy, trusting relationships. ACH’s goal is to be that constant and steady care for children and youth in the midst of their unknown and uncertain journey.

According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Report, more than one-third of foster children and youth experience two or more placements each year. A frequent change in their living arrangement is disruptive, stressful, and traumatizing for youth and hinders healthy development and growth. Like all children, foster children and youth need stability and reliability in a home-like environment.

ACH recognizes that instability only adds to the trauma faced by the youth we serve. Our continuum of care provides children with a safe space to learn and grow while keeping them connected to familiar people in a familiar place. Arianne experienced this above and beyond level of care in the midst of many unsettling transitions.

A life of never knowing what tomorrow will bring

“So I packed my stuff up again” is the phrase Arianne was most used to. She had lived in multiple foster placements and residential centers before she turned 18. Sometimes with as little of a day’s notice, she threw her belongings into a bag and was ready to be taken to her next living arrangement. She never knew how long her next stay would last.  

Arianne’s plight began years earlier. She dealt with a lot of depression growing up, took medication for bipolar disorder, and exhibited impulsive behavior. Her depression worsened at age 13 after experiencing a cycle of deaths in her family. She shares, “I would run away from home. I remember one instance when I ran to the highway. The cars stopped, police came, and I was hospitalized. I had bad impulsive control. That’s not safe.”

Throughout the years, Arianne would battle hopelessness, not want to come out of her room or talk to anyone, and would lash out toward others. Some days she didn’t even want to be alive and sunk deeper into depression. “This was really hard for my mom to hear,” Arianne said, confessing the effects of her emotional health on her family.

Arianne entered care at 15 years old when her placement journey began. Arianne experienced seasons of hurt, grief, and pain. She needed a safe place to process her emotions, learn how to cope with her feelings, and grow relationally with others. ACH’s RTC would eventually be chosen as the best placement for Arianne.

"They busted through the door dancing, singing, and laughing."

--Arianne upon meeting ACH staff
Being present and showing we care

Now 17, Arianne felt so close to making her own decisions on where to live that she did not want to move into ACH’s Robert and Jane Ferguson Residential Treatment Center (RTC). She sat in her case worker’s office for what felt like hours. Rich Capodagli, Director of Residential Services at ACH, drove to the office to meet Arianne in person. Arianne made sure Rich knew she would not be staying at the RTC. Rich thought she might say that, so he told her he’d return with some of his favorite team members for Arianne to meet. He wanted Arianne to feel more comfortable knowing some of the team before she moved in. Not very hopeful but impressed by Rich’s effort, Arianne sat and waited.

At the time, Morgan Richardson was a Youth Care Specialist at the RTC. Morgan shares her memory of the moment she met Arianne: “My supervisor at the time and I were asked to speak with Arianne to see if we could encourage her to accept the offer to be placed within the RTC. We showed up with nothing but energy ready to ‘hype’ Arianne up so much that she could not resist coming to the RTC and hanging out with the ‘cool’ staff.”

“They busted through the door dancing, singing, and laughing,” Arianne remembers. Before she knew it, Arianne was laughing with them and was ready to move into the RTC. She felt comfortable knowing the staff that would be there to care for her.

Meeting each child where they are is the first step of each ACH program

Arianne spent about eight months at the RTC. Throughout her time there she remembers the staff’s warm welcome and continual care, “They made sure I was comfortable from day one until the very end of my stay there. They were a really big help.” The team was patient with Arianne as she grew in patience with herself. Morgan got to see Arianne’s bold personality grow as she learned to open up to others and allow herself to try. Morgan recalls, “Arianne is a strong advocator. If she’s not advocating for herself, she’s advocating for her peers.”

Arianne is especially thankful for the ACH staff’s display of kindness and forgiveness. They never held her failures or mistakes over her and she realized they genuinely wanted her to learn and grow. Whether a small failure in her eyes like not getting a job or a larger mistake like starting a fight, Arianna shares “They didn’t hold it over my head. They were so kind. I felt cared for, not just by the staff but by the kids too.”

“I felt cared for, not just by the staff but by the kids too.”

--Arianne

ACH offered Arianne stability and a safe and familiar place to transition into adulthood. Now an adult at 18 years old, Arianne is a part of ACH’s LIFE Project, a supervised independent living program for youth ages 18-21 who are homeless or have aged out of the foster care system. She met LIFE Project Director Nick Little before she turned 18. She recalls a time while still living at the RTC when Nick gave her and two others a tour of the program before they had even applied to move in. “That was really kind of him. He didn’t have to do that.”

Arianne had grown reluctant to new placements, which brought new people to trust, new rules to learn, and a new environment to adapt to. As ACH staff had proven reliable to her, the transition from the RTC to the LIFE Project was something Arianne looked forward to. Arianne was also welcomed into the program by a familiar face. Morgan became a LIFE Project Case Manager; she had transitioned into this new role from the RTC shortly before Arianne’s move.

Morgan believes, “Youth placed in care deserve genuine care and support. Arianne has taught me to be human and the importance of creating a safe space for youth to be just that.” 

Arianne felt surrounded by people she knew and trusted and felt cared for and supported

For the first time, Arianne was excited and hopeful for her next move, not reluctant, guarded, or hesitant. She and two others from the RTC transitioned to the LIFE Project – a transition that meant they were ready to live life on their own. This move with her friends brought additional comfort. They have been a huge support system for each other in encouraging one another on their journeys. Through ACH’s continuum of care, they can continue growing into adulthood together, with the help of ACH staff all along the way.

At the LIFE Project, Arianne has experienced many milestones with the staff’s support. She opened up her first bank account, bought her first phone, and graduated from high school. She buys her own groceries now and is enrolled in driving school to get her license.

Arianne describes herself as the type of person who doesn’t like to ask for help. Years of being guarded and distrusting others have conditioned her this way. The consistency of the ACH team has built her trust in others: “I’ve learned how to ask for help.” She lists off LIFE Mentors and Case Managers that check in on her, offer resources, and whose names and phone numbers are now in her phone to call if she needs them. Since being at the LIFE Project she has learned the importance of having people on her team and “having a great support system that I know I can call on if I ever need anything.” From a car ride to a job interview or someone to talk to on a bad day, the ACH team has shown her reliable and genuine care. “They want to see us grow into the best versions of ourselves,” Arianne says of her experience with the LIFE Project team.

She’s hopeful for a better future for herself. She’s thankful for the support the LIFE Project offers her to fall back on and with a sigh of relief says, “it’s going to be okay.”

The Robert and Jane Ferguson Residential Treatment Center

The Robert and Jane Ferguson Residential Treatment Center (RTC) is an important part of a continuum of services designed to help children with significant behavioral and mental health issues achieve permanency in a family setting and/or receive a level of care that can help them heal from trauma. While ACH has several programs that address this need, the RTC offers a longer-term program for teenagers with this level of acuity. The RTC is the only one of its kind in Texas and joins professional home-based care, therapeutic foster care, support services, and foster care in the ACH continuum of care. These integrated services were developed to reconnect children with their biological families or when that is not possible, to find them a forever family with relatives or adoptive families.

This year, the Residential Treatment Center will face a projected budget deficit of $120,110. Your donation can make a difference!

The LIFE Project

All too often, youth from challenging backgrounds reach their late teens having developed few of the life skills and trusted adult relationships necessary for a self-sufficient, productive life. Whether on their own because they aged out of foster care or because they are homeless, these teens are highly motivated and want a helping hand to change their situations. The ACH LIFE Project was created to help young adults ages 18-21 gain self-confidence and become self-sufficient.

Participants are offered dormitory housing on the ACH Wichita Street Campus. Up to nineteen males can live in the Rees-Jones Family Residential Building, six females in the Virginia and Meto Miteff Family Home, and five girls in the ACH Wedgwood Campus Stocker House. Case managers provide program participants assistance in finding safe and affordable apartments or on-campus housing at a college or university. All youth are required to attend college or vocational school, work at least part-time or a combination of the two.

Want to help? This year, the LIFE Project will face a projected budget deficit of $669,885. Your donation can make a difference!

Donate Now

It’s Time to Let Go

Sierra* was left to make sense of her trauma-filled past and losses and found a home at the Morris Program, staffed by a team who would encourage her, challenge her, and most importantly, just be there with her.

“We don’t know how to help you,” is what the last placement home told 15-year-old Sierra before she found herself without a safe place to live. At different points in her childhood, she had lived with her parents, grandmother, aunt, and 3 placement homes. She soon found her way to the ACH Pat O’Neal Youth Emergency Shelter.

Sierra came in sad, angry, and depressed about her life. Her parents were so neglectful, she often took on the role of caregiver for her siblings. Then she saw people close to her suddenly pass away. After two months at the Shelter, she was still feeling anxious and expressed a lot of mood swings.

ACH has a continuum of care

The Shelter team thought moving into the Morris Program home at ACH would be the next best transition for Sierra and she agreed. She was admittedly nervous and scared when she first moved into her new home. She wasn’t sure if the other girls would be mean or if the staff would be able to help her.

Sierra is “…learning to build trust with others.”

-- Fredresha Overstreet, ACH Program Supervisor
Morris House

Describing herself as strong, independent, and outgoing, there’s a unique resilience to Sierra that reveals her compassion, steadiness, and confidence.  She quickly identifies herself as the “mama bear” of her two siblings, her twin sister and younger sister by three years. As a result of their trauma and neglectful childhood, Sierra has always been the most comfortable taking control, making decisions, and more importantly, not relying on anyone for help.

When you sit down with Sierra, two things become evident: 1) you think she’s well into her 30s, and 2) what she’s most proud of in life are “her girls,” for whom she’d do anything. ACH Morris Program Supervisor Fredresha Overstreet says, “She is motherly. There is this sense of responsibility about her. She is open and outgoing, but she is learning to build trust with others.”

Because she had gotten used to doing everything on her own, Sierra struggles to believe she is worthy to be loved by anyone.  “One of my biggest challenges during my time at ACH,” Sierra shares, “has been being open with others and feeling secure to ask for assistance.”

Finally Feeling Free

One of her goals when moving into the Morris home was to worry about her sisters less, set boundaries, and learn to take care of herself. Sierra wanted to learn how to rebuild her relationship with her siblings to just be their sister and not their mom or caregiver, and only prioritize what a 15-year-old should.

“I want to fulfill my dreams and do things I thought I couldn’t do.”

-- Sierra

Sierra now speaks from a place of freedom: “I grew up to see the world differently. It’s not rainbows and butterflies. I can’t grow up and dwell over it. I can just learn to make it better. This is what made me this way, but I can’t blame it.”

She is free and ready to let go, loosen the grip of any grudges she may have held, release the pains of her past, and find hope for not just her future but her sisters as well. When she thinks about her sisters today, “I’m hopeful for the girls to blossom. I want them to do what our parents couldn’t. I want them to chase their dreams.”

When she thinks about her own future she shares, “I want to fulfill my dreams and do things I thought I couldn’t do. I want to help other kids, and I want to travel.”

The Shelter invited Sierra into a safe environment to rest and take a deep breath. The Morris Program offered her a place to reflect on her past and gain the needed self-awareness and skills to grow and hope for her future. At every turn, the entire ACH team from the Shelter to Morris has been there for Sierra.

Our people make the difference

She reflects on her interactions with team members, “Ms. Fredresha brought me out of my shell, Mr. Danny is always so excited to see me, Ms. Dionne is always there to talk, and Ms. Mahoganey always pushes me. They have offered me so many opportunities.” The ACH team has expressed patience, care, and understanding toward Sierra. She has felt their presence with her every step of her healing journey.

While Sierra’s twin is in a different group home, they both hope to be adopted by the same family. Their younger sister is living with a foster family and hopes to be adopted by them soon.  It has been difficult for the girls to be apart from each other, but they have regular Zoom calls and stay in contact frequently.

Sierra understands the help ACH has provided and encourages others with, “there are people out there who love you! Don’t make things hard on them because you’re only making it hard on yourself.”

*Name changed to protect privacy.

The Morris Program

The Morris program at the ACH Wedgwood Residential Campus provides safe, stable, and nurturing homes for youth, ages 14-17, who are unable to live with their families or in a community home setting. These youth have been traumatized to the extent that it is difficult for them to express their emotions appropriately. This program provides home-based intervention therapy that assists youth in gaining independent living skills in a safe and supportive environment. Youth will work toward gaining the necessary skills to succeed in a variety of settings. This may include a family foster care placement, family reunification, a transition to independence, or an independent living program.

At the Wedgwood Transitional Living program, we focus on factors that have been proven to help youth be successful post-foster care. We aid in their academic achievement, vocational planning and by assisting them in finding gainful employment or volunteer experience. We also help the children in our care to attain a valid ID or driver’s license, to improve their ability to manage their own behavior, to cope with stress, and to gain insight into their interests and strengths.

The Morris Program will face a projected funding deficit of $289,439 in 2022. Consider donating to support ACH programs and youth like Sierra today.

Pat O’Neal Youth Emergency Shelter

The Shelter is a 24/7 residential-based program that offers homeless, runaway, throwaway and trafficked youth, ages 10-17, emergency housing and care while ACH works to connect them with appropriate social services, reunite them with their families, or find alternative safe and supportive long-term living arrangements.

The United States Department of Homeland Security said “ACH has been an invaluable partner in the fight against human trafficking. ACH faithfully provides a place where the victim’s safety, well-being, and immediate needs can be met and further assists in the transition to safe and stable housing.”

At an average cost per child of $258 per night, ACH is facing a projected funding gap for the Shelter of $579,366. Your donations can help children find what may be the first safe and stable sanctuary with protective adult support in their young lives.

Lucy’s Journey

Lucy’s Journey

Fists of rage have stained her story,
but she lets the intervention of others help her anger

Lucy was angry. She left another hole in the wall of her room at ACH’s Pat O’Neal Youth Emergency Shelter. This wasn’t the first time she decorated her walls with the emotions that raged within her. 

Lucy came in full of anger, had difficulty stabilizing her emotions, and was terrified of attending school. She had little care for herself and no regard for others. At her worst, Lucy was suicidal.

This was also not the first time the ACH team greeted Lucy through the Youth Emergency Shelter doors. Though the goal is not for youth to have to return to the Shelter, we are grateful to offer a safe and familiar place where youth like Lucy can return.

The only shelter of its kind in Tarrant County

The Youth Emergency Shelter steps in at a time of crisis in a youth’s life to offer safety and identify the best place for them to call home. Immediately, a team assembles around each youth that enters our doors. Our team is dedicated to quickly returning youth to their family if that is a safe option and if not, finding the best solution within 90 days. When you think about the trauma Lucy is walking in with, 90 days is not a realistic time to expect to see the deep healing she needs. All we can do is meet her where she’s at, help her cope with her trauma, and get her to a safe place to heal.

Recovering from significant trauma, hurt, and pain is a process that our team not only understands but embraces. Meeting each child directly in the dark place they find themselves in is the heart of what our Youth Emergency Shelter Program does. The process is hardly smooth, often emotional, but covered in intentional, intensive, and active interceding on behalf of each youth.

Stephen Parker, Youth Emergency Shelter Program Manager, shares “We have seen incremental growth in her in such a short amount of time.”

Fort Worth ISD assigns teachers to ACH's on-campus classroom

Youth that enter the Shelter are usually significantly behind in school. Our team works to help them get caught up. Lucy’s residential therapist, Jenny, recalls Lucy refusing to do anything related to school. She slowly progressed to actually going to school, and now the team sees her engaging with school and doing homework.

When kids feel supported, cared for, and valued, they’re willing to try. Their minds are open to the hopeful possibilities that they could never fathom for themselves. Lucy realizes that what she does matters and there is someone that cares about how she is doing.

Stephen shares that building upon small success has been their goal with Lucy. Celebrating the moment when a wall wasn’t punched to release an emotion, acknowledging when she respectfully voices her opinions, and letting her voice be heard while leaning into teaching moments with her have been key.

Lucy is not afraid of school anymore. She sees its value because she’s realizing her own value. She’s not afraid to try, because she’s starting to hope for her future. When you show a child their value, that changes everything.

Lucy shares her experience at the shelter, “I now have hope and look forward to having a future that excites me. The staff and kids here at the shelter have assisted me with gaining self-worth and coping skills.”

"I now have hope and look forward to having a future that excites me."

Lucy

Lucy may still get upset and managing the way she responds in her anger may always remain, but the walls of her room no longer reflect the remnants of her raging fists. They are decorated in the colors of her youth – paintings, drawings, her art. They reflect the depths of her heart, both the joys and the pains.

*Names changed to protect privacy

About the Pat O'Neal Youth Emergency Shelter

The Shelter is a 24/7 residential-based program that offers homeless, runaway, throwaway and trafficked youth, ages 10-17, emergency housing and care while ACH works to connect them with appropriate social services, reunite them with their families, or find alternative safe and supportive long-term living arrangements.

The United States Department of Homeland Security said “ACH has been an invaluable partner in the fight against human trafficking. ACH faithfully provides a place where the victim’s safety, well-being, and immediate needs can be met and further assists in the transition to safe and stable housing.”

At an average cost per child of $258 per night, ACH is facing a projected funding gap for the Shelter of $579,366. Your donations can help children find what may be the first safe and stable sanctuary with protective adult support in their young lives.

Ybanez Family

"It Never Happens This Way"

A touching story of adoption with a unique twist. With open and eager hearts, the Ybanez Family remains faithful to the process and continues to place each child’s needs above their own desires.

College sweethearts, Matt and Aimee, have always dreamed about adoption. “It’s always been a part of our family plan,” Aimee shares. Fifteen years into their marriage and two biological children later, it was time they got serious about it. Their kids were now at the age to understand what adoption is and be a part of the discussion. This would be a family decision and their girls, Keira and Micah “were enthusiastically on board!”

The Ybanez family jumped right into the adoption process. After extensive research, they found ACH Child and Family Services and loved that we work locally with the Department of Family Protective Services to care for children in the community.

They were showered in support from the very beginning. “Going into it, we were a little overwhelmed with the volume of items to complete,” said Aimee, “but ACH was great about keeping it organized and providing us options.” In just 8 weeks from the start of their training, they were officially licensed for matched adoption!

ACH is there, every step of the way

Lizbeth Bryant, Foster Care and Adoption Supervisor, was happy to walk this journey with Matt, Aimee, and their girls. She was ready to “fill their toolbelt” with all they’d need throughout this process – support groups, training classes, and frequent check-ins.

Finally licensed, the Ybanez family did not hold back. They eagerly threw themselves into every part of the adoption process, saying “yes” as a family and ready to provide a child a safe home.

They agreed to help children that needed temporary respite care as they waited to be matched with a child to adopt. Short-term respite foster care is when one family temporarily cares for another family’s foster children for various reasons. The Ybanez Family opened their home and hearts to many children. They never held back the love and care they had to offer a child in need. Matt and Aimee recall “accepting every respite request that came through – from an infant in double leg casts all the way up to a 12-year-old girl who stayed with us for almost two weeks.”

It was during this time of welcoming many children in and out of their home that they met Jenny.* After a trial run and a short weekend stay, they became the ‘go-to’ respite family for Jenny. During this time, Matt, Aimee, Keira, and Micah fell in love with Jenny.

From "matched adoption" to "foster to adopt"

Jenny was a 3-year-old girl whose case was still in process, and a safe permanent placement was still being determined for her. At the time, Jenny was living with a foster family that would later decide they would not be able to adopt her. The care team that surrounded Jenny then needed to search for a new foster family to take her in for the remainder of her case who could also be an adoption possibility.

Knowing Jenny would be in a safe and loving environment is all they truly sought.

Since the Ybanez family had already begun building a relationship with Jenny during multiple respite stays, they were being considered as a possible foster family and adoption match. First, the Ybanez family needed to change their adoption licensing from “match adoption” to also include “foster to adopt”. This was a major decision. Matt and Aimee never imagined they would foster, yet they had no doubts. They loved Jenny and were ready to welcome her into their family. The Ybanez family moved forward with the licensing change so they could become Jenny’s foster care family with the hope and possibility of adopting her.

It was soon looking like the decision on Jenny’s case would be that her biological mother’s rights were going to be terminated. The hearing was in just two weeks and the Ybanez family would foster Jenny during that time. Matt, Aimee, Keira, and Micah would go about their days and welcome Jenny with this anticipated plan in mind.

Yet the process continued. Meetings got delayed, extensions were given, and the timing is usually never as you’d expect. Jenny’s biological mother was given an extension in hopes of family reunification. In this new limbo, Jenny stayed with the Ybanez family for months while her case continued, only now the Ybanez family felt a little unsure how to prepare for the unknown outcome.

Protecting Children and Preserving Families

The Ybanez family remained supportive of Jenny’s biological mother throughout the entire process. Knowing Jenny would be in a safe and loving environment is all they truly sought. As they cared for Jenny, ACH remained there to offer the Ybanez family support and guidance along the way. They were faced to now navigate such conflicting emotions. They had such a deep desire to permanently bring Jenny home and knew the warm and tender care they would offer her.

At the same time, they had such a softness and hope for Jenny’s mom and the reunited family they could be. They never ceased to maintain Jenny’s best interest at the heart of each decision, no matter how joyful or painful it may be. 

How can you truly prepare for the unexpected? Being present and available is sometimes all you can do. Throughout this time, Aimee says, “Before we partnered with ACH we truly did not understand how much support and partnership there is, which is such a blessing. There is no shortage of support at ACH.” The Ybanez family felt more prepared to meet Jenny in her situation and care not only for Jenny but for their entire family. Jenny’s biological mother’s rights were soon reinstated and she was granted permanency. The best home now for Jenny was being reunited with her mom. 

It's what's best for the child that's important

The Ybanez family learned to walk not only with open hearts but open hands as well. While they never wavered from putting the needs of the child first, they fully realize how precious it is to preserve families. They have uniquely experienced the delight and heartache that comes with living so fiercely and boldly in love.

"There is no shortage of support at ACH."

-- Aimee Ybanez

ACH’s Lizbeth has seen their faithfulness to Jenny and is grateful to walk alongside the Ybanez family through this emotional journey. They may not have been able to welcome Jenny permanently into their home, but their hearts were open to far more than they thought capable.

Thanks to their eldest, Keira, they have pursued and maintained contact with Jenny and her mother. Aimee confesses, “honestly, we may never have gathered the strength to reach out that first time after she’d gone home if it hadn’t been for Keira.” Keira wanted to submit her drawing of Jenny into an art contest but wanted to ask her mom for permission first. Aimee pushed through her own grief to reach out.

“At first, we had no idea what an ongoing relationship with Jenny or her mom was supposed to look like. Perhaps we still don’t – there’s no template for it, but we’re doing our best to figure it out as we go.” They find themselves a part of something greater than themselves and have rallied behind a mom and joined her team to care for her sweet daughter.

Aimee shares, “We had never imagined we would foster, let alone see a child go back to her biological mom, and yet, there is something pretty amazing that happens when you can be a part of a larger support system for both child and parent.”

The Ybanez family is still patiently waiting to permanently welcome home a fifth member of their family. They remain hopeful and excited for when that day comes. 

 

*Name changed to protect privacy.

Foster Care and Adoption

Every year hundreds of children in our area are removed from their biological caregivers due to abuse or neglect. And every year ACH Child and Family Services place many of them into temporary foster care with kind and compassionate adults who have been thoroughly vetted and trained. When a child comes to us, an ACH foster and adoption specialist creates and implements an individualized Plan of Service, essentially a guide for the child’s anticipated service needs. Our professionals meet with each child at least once a month, more frequently as required. Learn more about ACH’s Foster Care and Adoption Program.

Harrison Family

Creating Order Out of Chaos

When faced with caring for a child with serious emotional and behavioral needs, Deanna and Trent didn’t just accept the unexpected for their family – they are grateful they embraced it with grace, patience, and humility.

The Harrisons journey with Micah truly began when they adopted in 2017. Deanna was a part of a foster family support group when she first met 2-year-old Micah and his then adoptive mother. Deanna and her husband Trent established and maintained a relationship with Micah and his mom. They cared for one another’s kids and arranged play dates with other families in the support group. Deanna didn’t know the details of their lives; she just saw a single mother and offered her support to Micah. In addition to caring for others, Deanna was mindful to protect the new dynamic of her own family in meeting the needs of her children, Kaleena, Jeremiah, Samuel, and Izzy.

During the height of the pandemic, Micah’s family went into recluse mode. Deanna would not see Micah or his family for two years. She would later find out that Micah was back in foster care. His mom had reached out to Deanna asking if her family would consider caring for Micah while she was being investigated by Child Protective Services. The Harrisons were under the impression it would be a quick, simple case, and a temporary stay for Micah. Deanna fully believed he would return home soon.

Regardless of the situation, they were willing and ready to step in and care for Micah. It wasn’t long before they were informed of the specifics of the case and that Micah’s home life was much, much worse than they could have known. The Harrisons realized this would not be temporary. Micah was in desperate need of a new home; a safe, nurturing, and loving home.

Micah was in desperate need of a new home; a safe, nurturing, and loving home.

Each step into the unknown was a new step of faith.

Before he moved into the Harrison’s home, Micah had been in and out of residential treatment centers, which provide intensive help for youth with serious emotional and behavioral needs. He had been in different foster homes and was hospitalized. No one could handle his behavior. The behavior of children in the foster system is evaluated to identify the level of care and support they may need. Micah was considered to be at the therapeutic level, which identifies the most vulnerable of children at the highest level of needed care and attention. He exhibited “feral” qualities as Deanna would describe. She confessed, “On paper, we would have never taken Micah in. But especially since we knew him, we knew we had to have him.”

"But especially since we knew him, we knew we had to have him."

Deanna Harrison
Micah, 7 years old

Micah was impulsive. Now at 7 years old, he acted destructively simply because he wanted to see what would happen. He was never taught what was appropriate behavior and what was inappropriate. Arguably, he learned that aggressive behavior was good and sometimes even encouraged. Micah would dump the contents of a stranger’s purse to the ground, rip down paintings from the wall, and stand on tables, all because he felt like it. It wasn’t vindicative, it wasn’t malicious, he just didn’t know any better. He had also previously experienced discipline in extremes, either none at all or harsh even abusive consequences. This was confusing for Micah. Deanna and Trent committed to patiently helping Micah break the habits he had developed from living in his previous homes.

You can’t just weed out the bad, you need to fill it with something better.

Deanna and Trent knew they needed help. After previously working with ACH during the adoption of Kaleena, Jeremiah, and Izzy, they didn’t hesitate to call ACH again for support. This time, because they were considered fictive kinship to Micah, they were connected to our Kinship Connections team. A fictive kinship relationship is one that a child has with an individual to whom they are not related but has an emotionally significant relationship with.1 Our Kinship Connections team offers support to families who are caring for children through kinship care (relative/extended family members) and fictive kinship placement (significant emotional relationship).

The Harrison family was connected to Mandy Martin, Kinship Connection Specialist. She was providing support for Deanna and Trent almost around the clock, answering all their questions and taking the time to explain the process to them.  Mandy made daily phone calls, weekly home visits, and conducted research to provide new resources and suggestions for the family during their transition. She also helped them obtain the correct licensing they needed to foster Micah and pursue adoption.

Mandy shares that the beginning was the hardest part, just getting to know Micah. She remembers him being explosive. Mandy knew the best support was to be whatever Micah and the family needed that day. On her visits, if he wanted to play duck-duck-goose or football, they did. If he wanted to just sit and draw that day, they did. She not only cared for Micah but was inclusive to all of his siblings. Deanna shares her experience working with Mandy, “We had a person come into our lives who loved the children in our home, who even before we were licensed helped me with sweet Micah. Mandy is truly an angel who loves these kids and wants to see them shine!” 

Taking in Micah meant Deanna needed to temporarily step away from her full-time job. This allowed her to give him the attention he needed and learn who he was and how to best care for him. Micah craved connection, needed hope, and wanted to be loved. He needed someone to tell him no, to offer him structure, and to show him how to care for himself and others.

Their faith has been what has sustained them, it’s what Micah needed. Micah has been shown appropriate discipline for his actions and choices. Through faith, he was offered the power to overcome his impulses. For Deanna, reflecting on Micah’s healing and progress is remarkable. Micah’s behavior was so destructive he couldn’t attend school. Now he can be in school every day and even has friends. The Harrisons can now enjoy a meal out of the house, take a family vacation, and go to the movies together. They have seen such lasting progress from Micah that he will be graduating early from his current therapeutic program.

 

On ACH's Mandy Martin: "Mandy is truly an angel who loves these kids and wants to see them shine!"

Deanna Harrison
"You're not a victim. You're victorious."

The Harrisons were not afraid of the interruption that came with taking Micah in, even though they knew that with adopted children already in the home, this would threaten their stability. They trusted in the foundation they had already built with Kaleena, Jeremiah, and Izzy. There would be setbacks, teaching moments, and a lot of patience, but they would respond to each child with the same grace, love, and gentleness, seeing them for who they could be.

Deanna and Trent continue to make a great team. They are both active and involved in their children’s lives. They intimately know each child’s personality and encourage their own individual hobbies. Deanna can tell you with such ease each of her children’s tendencies, triggers, and interests. She knows her kids.

The Harrisons respond to each child with the same grace, love, and gentleness, seeing them for who they could be.

She encourages others, “When you are committed to learning your kids, you learn their needs, and you can provide them an environment where they’ll be successful.” They learned that chaos creates anxiety for Micah. Deanna learned with Micah, “He needed to know what was expected of him. To correct him was to love him.” Micah now has stability, consistency, and something he can depend on. It has been less than a year since Micah moved into the Harrison’s home. People who knew Micah before don’t even recognize him as the same child.

Micah is learning about forgiveness and healing from his past. Deanna shares, “I don’t want him to live the rest of his life angry because of what someone else did to him. I want him to learn how to let go.”

He has officially been adopted into the Harrison family on March 31st. They live each day reminding each other, “You’re not a victim, you’re victorious.”

Programs for case & social workers
Kinship Connections

Kinship Connections is a voluntary program that offers support to families who are caring for a relative’s child or children. We don’t want families to be overwhelmed with all the new responsibilities, so we offer services such as support groups, parent education, in-home services, referrals, concrete services, and assistance with licensure or adoption. With ACH, there’s no need to go it alone.

References

1 Legislative Exchange Council. The Kinship Care and Fictive Kin Reform Act, 2017.

Meet the Blair Brothers

When all you know is abuse, violence, and aggression, what hope are you left with?

Carter and Travis didn’t know how to trust others. They didn’t even trust each other—and they’re brothers. Their neglect and abuse left them defeated, desperate, and angry. When they first moved into the Behavioral Care home, they exploded on each other. They were already separated from their parents, older brother, and two younger sisters. They didn’t see a need to stay together.

Even though the boys could not see it, the ACH staff knew how important it was to keep the brothers together. Carter was 11 years old at the time and Travis was 13, a year older than the Behavioral Care program allows. Our team decided to make an exception for Travis and allowed him to move into the home with Carter. Their caseworkers would try to find a foster family the boys could go to together. Their older brother, Jay, was 14 years old and in a different ACH program.

Carter’s deepest desire was to be seen and loved. He yearned for the attention of others to the point of acting out, being verbally angry, and running away.

Travis only knew how to respond in the ways he was taught – anger, rage, hostility – with deep-rooted mistrust. He would respond with more physical aggression. He was always upset and held on to everything, holding close his hurt and pain in order to self-protect.

The brothers would frequently respond to each other in angry verbal outbursts. From a broken home, our staff was seeing the effect it had on broken brothers. Committed to preserving their family, our ACH team was committed to the Blair brothers.

A commitment beyond words

ACH staff member, McKenzie, poured hope, patience, and steadfast care into the boys throughout her time working with them. During their stay at the Behavioral Care home, the boys saw staff members they had grown to trust, take on new opportunities that would mean they wouldn’t work directly with them anymore. McKenzie, too, was set to transfer roles, leaving the boys in the care of new staff, again. McKenzie realized the trust they’ve worked so hard to build with Carter and Travis, and the faithfulness they deeply desired to find in others. She decided to delay her transfer until the boys had their final day at the Behavioral Care home, which wouldn’t be long.

Before the boys said goodbye to their home at ACH, McKenzie and other ACH staff decided to take them to a Rangers baseball game. Previous staff members that had worked with the boys in the earlier days throughout their stay even returned to join them at the game. The commitment of the ACH team to these boys, showing up even beyond the role, showed Carter and Travis that they do matter, they are loved, and goodbyes don’t mean abandonment. They were ready for a new home.

A new hope

ACH found a foster family who was ready to invite all three brothers into their home. Hope. Crying and tears are not the kind of emotions our staff was used to seeing from the Blair brothers. Despite their wet eyes, Carter, Travis, and Jay were excited to move into their new home.

The Behavioral Care program offers a safe and highly structured environment for children whose moderate to severe emotional and behavioral problems prevent them from living with their families or in less structured environments. Using strategies and techniques such as Trust-Based Relational Intervention® and playful engagement, the program teaches adaptive behaviors in a secure residential setting.

Turning Point is a specialized, urgent mental-health care program for foster children and their families. The program provides crisis intervention and acute stabilization with the goal of family preservation. This innovative program is designed to help children and their families receive urgent relief of symptoms as well as therapeutic interventions that prevent hospitalizations and placement disruptions.

This transition did not come without its challenges. New people to trust, a new environment to settle into, the family needed support. They returned together to ACH, this time to our Turning Point program, which offers short-term intervention and stabilization for foster youth and their families.

Carter would still ache to be loved and desired, but he would receive attention and care from his foster dad. He and his foster dad shared a love of sports with each other. His foster dad wanted to be involved with the boys and enjoys playing with them in the yard.

Travis would not let down his guard without a fight. He was still very angry and still had a tight grip around his pain. Testing the boundaries to make sure they were going to stick around would continue to be the cry of his heart.

A little more patience

After two years of living with his foster family, Travis found himself back at Turning Point for additional help controlling his behavior at home. It’s not uncommon for foster youth and families to return to Turning Point for care as they continue to work on their behavior, process their past, and transition into a new home. McKenzie had taken Travis out to lunch one day when Travis finally realized, “they’re not trying to replace my parents. They’re trying to give me a home.”

All three boys have been with their foster family for three years now. Jay and Carter have both been adopted by their foster parents! Travis remains living with them, happy and healing.

*Names changed to protect identities.

Want to help? This year, the Behavioral Care program will face a projected budget deficit of $357,413  and the Turning Point Program will face a budget deficit of $7,472. Your donation can make a difference!

I want to help!