Jeren is 9 years old and has been living in a Barium Springs foster home since a family member dropped him off on the steps of the Department of Social Services (DSS) 2 years ago. Recently, his biological parents’ rights were terminated and he became available for adoption.
Jeren
9 years old
Meet Emma. She came from an abusive family.
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Emma came to us from an abusive family situation. The day she arrived, she was wearing a "lucky necklace." She told us it was lucky because it brought her here. She has now graduated high school and is doing very well. Emma: age 18 |
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Emma came to Barium Springs from an abusive family situation, as many of our youth do. Our staff sat down to meet her, get to know her, and see if there was anything she needed. We could tell she was still taking everything in because she was fairly quiet and soft-spoken. Our staff would later discover her incredibly bubbly, social and fun personality. Emma was wearing a homemade necklace around her neck. It was a collection of rainbow colored soda can pop tops. As a conversation starter, one staff asked her about the necklace. Emma said it was her “lucky necklace”. She was quiet for a moment, and then said, “Well… it must be lucky because it brought me here.” Emma was a model resident, always so thankful for everything we did and offering to help other residents fit in and make the most of our program. When she turned 18 and was discharged from our group home in Bryson, City (Hawthorn Heights). The staff of Hawthorn Heights were incredibly proud to attend her high school graduation a year later. Emma remains in contact with us to this day. It always amazes us how resilient and positive kids can be even after all they’ve been through and how much they can accomplish if just given the opportunity.
Keep it up, Emma! *Names and photos have been changed to protect the identity of our children but their stories are very real. Read More About Our Kids |
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