I am about to adopt Brian1, a happy, healthy four-year old boy the doctors said would probably never see his first birthday. He was born prematurely into a life of chaos, and weighed barely three pounds at birth. His birth mother was struggling with mental illness, addiction, and life in poverty. Brian suffered the consequences, and was designated a “Failure to Thrive” for his first seven months. The prospects for his life were grim, if he even survived.
A Child’s Haven took Brian into their daily therapeutic program when he was two years old. He was delayed in every respect. He had just begun to walk, but his gross motor skills needed lots of attention. He just didn’t have the drive, motivations and displays of energy a two-year old boy should have. His fine motor skills and speech were delayed as well. In fact, he did not talk at all. And although he was no longer in danger at home, as his foster mother I feared he would be unable to start school as a normal child.
Upon entering the program, the staff at A Child’s Haven charted Brian’s abilities at 10-13 months delayed- quite severe for a two-year old. And over the next eighteen months, the clinical staff literally brought him to life. I was amazed at the progress in just a few months.
As time progressed, Brian became the leader in his group. My soon-to-be son, the severely delayed child who did not speak, was leading class participation and encouraged other children to participate. The child that didn’t walk for his first two years, was hopping and dancing around the room during music time. The child that wasn’t expected to celebrate his first birthday was graduating from A Child’s Haven at the age of three, having met all of his developmental goals, and he was ready for a normal start to kindergarten.
Brian has been transformed into a normal, beautiful boy with great hopes for the future. There are no words to express my gratitude to A Child’s Haven. The organization is absolutely remarkable in every way.
1 Name has been changed to protect privacy.
Caroline and John1 are the young parents of two- and soon to be three- children. Their little girls struggled in their earliest years, suffering from developmental delays that threatened their ability to lead normal, healthy lives. And although Caroline and John love their children, the struggles of the family were sometimes just too much for them to handle.
The girls entered the therapeutic treatment program at A Child’s Haven, and received the specialized care, support and tools for success that all of our children are given. But this story is also about the transformation of the parents, Caroline and John.
Our clinical staff makes regular home visits to our families, to monitor the home environment and provide guidance to the parents. We combine these visits with weekly Parenting Education sessions, where parents gather with their peers and a trained facilitator, who reinforces the guidance given in the home.
Caroline and John jumped right into our parenting programs. They completed their Parenting Education sessions, and then decided to continue their training with Parents Anonymous®. The girls are doing well, and Caroline and John have transformed into proud parents that understand the importance of their roles in the girls’ futures. In fact, they have shown so much enthusiasm, we have recognized them as two of three recent ACH Parents of the Year. They have also volunteered to facilitate parent meetings, set up and clean up, and bring food. Caroline and John have shared themselves and their stories with us, and we’re proud of them.
1 Name has been changed to protect privacy.