Disclaimer: All names and images have been changed to protect people’s identities.
Eric and his three children were living in a public park after Eric’s ex-partner, Olive, kicked them out of her home. This was not an isolated incident. Olive had an addiction to methamphetamine and a history of violence and instability.
For a long time, Eric was reluctant to leave the relationship. He feared that, because he was a man, no one would believe the gravity of the abuse he endured. However, the violence Eric experienced had traumatized not just him, but his children, too. The young kids were regressing in their behaviors, acting out, and getting into trouble in school.
Now, with nowhere else to turn, the family of four was spending cold nights sleeping on the wooden slats of a park bench. Eric was terrified of losing his children to the foster care system. It was time to get help.
Our specialists in Fostering Prevention – a program that provides support to at-risk families in order to prevent children from entering foster care – worked quickly to get Eric and the kids off the streets. We put them up in a hotel for a few days to keep them safe and out of the cold during this transitional period. Soon, we identified a resource that helped this struggling family find a home.
We were also able to provide beds and furnishings for their new space. The children were overjoyed to once again have comfortable beds to sleep on and pillows on which to rest their heads.
Eric was relieved that his children were now living in a safe environment, free from his ex-partner’s abuse.
“I am grateful and blessed that [FosterAdopt Connect] was there to help me when I thought no one would,” said Eric.
Because of caring donors like you, FosterAdopt Connect is able to fund programs like Fostering Prevention to help families experiencing hardship stabilize and overcome their challenges. On behalf of families like Eric’s, thank you!
