David has been in and out of Wisconsin foster care for five years. He is 14 years old. His mother is incarcerated, awaiting sentencing. He has occasional visits with his father. He is currently placed with a cousin struggling to meet his needs. Here is a bit of David's story:
David, a 14-year-old boy, needs a foster home with at least one parent available or a parent with a highly flexible schedule. His journey has been challenging, having been diagnosed with depression, ODD, and ADHD. While he is not currently on medication, he is open to an assessment, believing it could be beneficial and help him with his emotions.
For David, a foster home with younger children and pets, particularly dogs, would be ideal. He enjoys the company of younger children and finds pets to be naturally calming. A home with these elements would provide a supportive environment for him.
David engages with his mom via supervised video chats. He also has two sisters who live with their grandmother in another state. The siblings can have phone contact. Next month, there is a planned visit with grandma and sisters here in Wisconsin. He is excited for the visit and hopes it is not cancelled again.
Several months ago, he was moved to live with his cousin for the second time. She is requesting the teen be transferred to a licensed foster home. The cousin is a single, younger woman, working full-time. She is struggling with David's disrespect and unwillingness to follow the rules, which she attributes to their closeness in age. Although he has done well overall, the cousin is unable to provide the proper parenting and supervision that David needs.
Schoolwork has been a struggle for years. David is in 9th grade and has an IEP. His cousin reports that David wants to attend school and often tries to do the required homework but needs assistance to complete assignments on time.
David has attended multiple schools in the last several years, making it difficult to make friends or build relationships. He likes to give the impression that he is "tough". In addition, the boy has a history of not taking responsibility for his behaviors. Instead, he will deny his involvement and blame others for his behavior.
David's story is not unique. Witness to unhealthy relationships, alcohol abuse, lack of proper schooling, separation from his siblings, and an incarcerated mother. ALL creates trauma, which means David presents emotions and behaviors that require consistent parenting, patience, and time to build trusting relationships.
Kids like David can thrive when a foster family can provide stability and structure! We've seen it hundreds of times with our CCR foster families. They begin to heal when the constant moving from home to home stops.
CCR is desperate for more families to become foster parents for kids like David. Learn how to become a foster parent in Wisconsin by calling us today.
*We did not have a foster home available for David, so the referring county continued their search for a home in the right location to meet his needs.
