On Wednesday, I got to tell Issac he is going to live in the same foster home as his sister.

Issac had written a beautiful letter for our Staff stating how he believes he has made progress and deserves to be in a family. Prior to writing the letter Issac, shared with his Therapist that he thought he was going to another facility. When the Therapist told him he didn’t need any more treatment and deserved to be in a family, Issac cried. He said no one had ever told him that before.

When he was told he was going to live with his sister’s foster family he was very surprised and excited. He expressed easily that he wanted to leave DCCH but didn’t want to go because he would miss his friends (it’s always amazing to hear a kid share appropriate ambivalence in this way).

When asked if he had any questions about his new foster mom, he said “Yes, I do have a question. The one question I have is ‘Does she have what it takes?’” Again, amazing ability to share his biggest fear. His foster mom responded, “I don’t give up without a fight”. That seemed to satisfy Issac, and he smiled even bigger. I can’t express to you the amazing improvement Issac has made under the care of his team. This child who was so detached and emotionally unavailable bloomed into a confident young man right in front of us. I know he still has a way to go, but the most striking change isn’t in his behaviors, it’s in the hope you can see in his eyes now.

I tell you these details because all of you play a part in helping our kids succeed; in giving them hope. They all have their own unique stories. Most of these stories create beliefs they won’t succeed, they don’t deserve to be loved, or to be in families. Frequently, it’s not only the child that thinks this way, but also the adults in their lives.

What I see at DCCH are Staff who strive to change each child’s story. You do this by believing in them, even when they don’t believe in themselves. You tell them you believe in them, over and over, until, like Issac, they start to believe it and discover hope.

Thank you for your commitment to changing stories and creating Hope!