Carrie is a single mother. She has a good job at Southern Technical College and holds a Master’s degree. In 2006, she realized she was not immune to the stressors of life. That year, she swallowed a bottle of pills in an attempt to take her own life. She was depressed and felt that her 20-month-old son, Trevor, would be better off without her. Before Carrie lost consciousness, she called 911, having realized her mistake and hoping to get help. Carrie was hospitalized and released three days later. After her release, she was told that she could not pick up her son or even see him. He had been placed in foster care.

That was the day Carrie turned her life around and realized she was the best parent for her son. She did everything in her case plan to get her son back. She attended parenting classes, supervised visits, counseling, psychologist and psychiatrist visits, and appeared in court at least once a month. All of this was completed in record time. Her goal was to have her son home by Christmas, 2006. Unfortunately, that was not even being considered by the court. After 12 months, her son was still not allowed to come home. Carrie was confused and frustrated. She didn’t understand why, after doing everything asked of her, she still couldn’t get her son back.

In 2007, Carrie received a call from Danielle, a Family Team Meeting coordinator at Family Services of Metro Orlando. Danielle had been in touch with Carrie’s case manager and asked if she would consider participating in a Family Team Meeting. She explained that these meetings were part of a new program offered by Family Services of Metro Orlando in collaboration with their case management partners. The program was designed to help assess the family’s individual situation by involving loved ones and a support network in the process and identifying ways to improve the family’s situation. Carrie agreed to the meeting with hope that this was the step that would bring her son back to her.

Danielle called Carrie’s sister, brother, mother, counselor and a guardian to attend the meeting. In the meeting, Carrie identified her strengths and the goals she needed to accomplish in order to allow her son to come home. By completing a series of Family Team Meetings, Carrie was able to prove to friends, family, and authorities that she was a fit mother. In December, 2007, Carrie was finally able to bring her son home. When Carrie tells her story, she says, “If it were not for the Family Team Meeting, I’m not sure where Trevor and I would be today.”

Darien was a seven-year-old boy – not a normal seven-year-old but a boy with severe medical challenges that should have prevented him from reaching his seventh birthday. Darien came to foster care, as many children do, because the services he required to sustain and enhance his life were prohibitively expensive when provided in his home with his family but free when provided in the home of a stranger.

To give up a child so that he might have a better and longer life is a great sacrifice – one that Darien’s mother chose to make. Because of his medical needs, Darien was considered “difficult to adopt.” Some might say “unadoptable,” but we believe every child is adoptable. Darien was small for his age, with thick glasses. He needed a respirator without which he could not live. He was unable to eat solid food, and he required a wheelchair and 24-hour nursing care which he received from his medical foster mother and a day nurse. Darien did not speak but communicated through non-verbal sounds.

Through her care of Darien, his foster mother came to love him. She wanted to adopt him, but like his biological mother, lacked the resources to support a child without the services available only to children who remain in foster care. The resources for Darien’s care would no longer be available once he left foster care. 

So, Darien remained in foster care for another year, living with a parent who would have adopted him as a loved member of her family. We knew that his medical needs should not stop him from being a normal child with a normal family, so to address this situation, the Family Services of Metro Orlando adoption services program convened a series of meetings involving government agencies, medical professionals, therapists, and Darien’s nurse, foster mother, and case manager to coordinate a “package” of appropriate services to continue supports for Darien following his adoption. With these services in place, Darien was adopted in 2007. 

Today, Darien requires his respirator less often. He continues to receive 24-hour nursing care – now from his mother, not his foster parent, and he enjoys the comfort of a real and permanent family. His mother says, “I know we are not like other families, but Darien will never know, and that is as it should be.”

John entered foster care at the age of 6 years with his five brothers and sisters when his father and sole source of financial support was incarcerated. His mother was not able to develop the skills and abilities necessary to provide adequate safety and care for her children, and John was made available for adoption. In 1999, John was adopted with three of his siblings and was abused by his adoptive parents. John returned to foster care with his siblings in 2003.

John’s caregivers describe him as personable, easygoing, and helpful with a great smile. At the same time, John is also described as hyper and challenged by academics. It was clear that John would not pursue post-secondary education, but he did - and failed.

John will probably never explain why he attempted college because he shares little about himself and never asks for help even when he needs it. Most youth try college because it is expected of them and because of a stigma around vocational education. Because he does not ask for help, John never received the educational guidance he needed.

Through the Family Services of Metro Orlando Independent Living program, a partnership with Westgate Resorts, Community Service Center, and City of Life was established to provide supported employment opportunities within Westgate Resorts. Youth participating in this initiative receive job skills training, a job mentor, a job and a residence at Westgate Resorts, and a stipend.

Although John shares little of himself, we make it our business to know our youth. We identified John as one of the first candidates for this one year program. After employability training to prepare for a successful interview, John was offered a position at Westgate Resorts.

Now, three years later, John has been promoted to a supervisory position at Westgate Resorts and mentors younger program participants. With his characteristically affable smile, John says he is happy to have had this opportunity. "I didn't know what I was going to do - I didn't know what I was good at. I learned how to believe in myself."

Nine year old Chris had the responsibility of keeping his foster family’s home warm at night by keeping the wood stove burning. One night, something went wrong, and the home caught fire and burned to the ground. Several pets died that night, but due in part to his efforts to wake the family, Chris and the other family members escaped unharmed.

As a result of his own feelings of guilt and the ongoing investigation into his role in the fire (he was eventually cleared), Chris was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where he met a psychiatric technician who was studying to become a child psychologist.

Their first meeting did not go well. Chris was considered one of the most challenging kids ever admitted to this hospital for the most challenging kids in the state. To manage his behavior that evening, the technician took Chris to a separate room away from the group. 

There, Chris jumped on furniture, kicked and threw objects at walls, and refused to listen or respond to any direction. Finally, Chris picked up a shoe and threatened to throw it at the technician. Calling upon his professional training, experience and deep sense of empathy for children whose lives have been scarred by traumatic events, the technician spoke calmly to Chris, telling the boy that he trusted him.

After several minutes of this alternately threatening and trusting exchange, Chris put the shoe down and said, “I’m ready to talk now. I know I can trust you. No one ever responded to me the way you did.”

Helped by a simple lesson in trust, Chris was able eventually to be adopted by his foster family and recently celebrated his 21st Thanksgiving in their rebuilt home. He joined the Army in service to the nation, while the technician completed his education and joined Family Services of Metro Orlando in service to vulnerable children just like Chris. All children need someone to trust, and it begins with caring adults willing to take the chance and trust in them.