Children’s Home Network is dedicated to improving lives and changing life stories. We unlock the potential of at-risk children and families by providing compassionate and effective services that create opportunities for success.
At the Children's Home Network, we unlock the potential of at-risk children and families by providing compassionate and effective services that create opportunities for success.
Every child has basic needs to be loved, nurtured and to live in a household that is stable and dependable with responsible parents or caregivers. Unfortunately, at age seven Maddie did not have the stable family life that all children need and crave in order to thrive. Maddie’s home life included domestic violence, parental incarceration, and substance and alcohol abuse. Instead of receiving consistent care from her parents, Maddie lived in constant chaos and, like many young trauma survivors, her coping skills were significantly impaired. Maddie was surrounded by verbal and physical violence which became her learned behavior and method for coping. At school, Maddie could not concentrate and lashed out at teachers and other students almost daily due to her frustration with learning and emotional discomfort. Maddie was held back in 2nd grade and soon after the start of the school year, Child Protective Services were contacted after Maddie reported that her mother was arrested for “attacking her father.” Shortly thereafter, Maddie was placed into foster care.
Maddie did not understand what was happening and why she was being taken away from her family. She tried to run away from the Child Protective Investigator, and was understandably inconsolable and angry. Maddie’s emotional outbursts continued after she arrived at her foster home and despite the family’s best efforts to help console and calm her, Maddie remained aggressive, particularly towards her two new foster siblings. The family eventually requested that she transition to a different foster home that could better meet her needs. CHN’s Placement Team worked diligently to identify a family that had the skills and experience to care for Maddie and to provide her with the love, stability, structure, and quality time she so desperately needed.
A Children’s Home Network foster family known for having the strengths Maddie needed was contacted and they quickly accepted the opportunity to care for Maddie. Maddie immediately struggled with the transition and living with another family she did not know. Using the skills and practices they learned through the CHN licensing process as well as their previous foster experience, the family did not give up. The foster parents gave Maddie the nurturing environment that she needed to begin her healing journey, allowing her to begin to find calm and rest. Maddie was enrolled into school and the family worked closely with her teachers to support Maddie and manage her behaviors. Because she was behind a grade, Maddie needed additional help to succeed and feel a sense of accomplishment in school. CHN assisted with setting up tutoring to assist Maddie with her learning and grades. While she was beginning to trust her foster family, Maddie still struggled with managing her emotions and continued having periodic outbursts at home, school, with peers, and towards her foster sibling. CHN began providing intensive in-home counseling to help Maddie manage her emotions and behaviors, and provided guidance to the foster parents to help her heal.
Maddie has lived with her foster family since September of 2022 and has made remarkable progress. She is learning to live outside the chaos and have nurturing relationships with her foster family, including becoming an excellent big sister to her younger foster sibling. Maddie will now use constructive tools that she learned through therapy, rather than losing control or becoming aggressive. Maddie’s foster parents provide regular positive reports regarding Maddie’s education and her overall wellbeing. Maddie is a remarkable and resilient little girl who needed the love, care and supports that any child needs to thrive. In caring for Maddie’s needs, her foster family continues to receive supportive services and guidance from our foster care team – services that your generous gifts help to provide.
Foster families consistently provide for the children entrusted into their care, but sometimes they need additional help. Your donations allow CHN to recruit and provide training to new foster parents and on-going support for existing foster parents so that they can provide the best care to vulnerable children. Thank you for helping CHN create a safety net of love and care for our children and caregivers through your generosity.
