AOICWO Blog
All I did was be her cheerleader and she felt empowered to change!
I was introduced to this young woman last year who had an infant in foster care. During the first few visits, she just cuddled, fed, and changed the child and spent a lot of the time crying. This client was only able to see her child for small periods of time so when...
Adoption Option Inc. is Grateful for the Support Provided by the Midland Area Community Foundation.
Adoption Option Inc. recently received a $39,860 Grant from the Midland Area Community Foundation to enhance the training of our In-Home parent education staff. This enhanced training will expand the number of tools available to help serve the families and children of...
And he said: “You really hear me!”
This young man who was nearing adulthood was very respectful and quiet at first. He seemed to have his mind made up about what he wanted to do with his life. But, at the end of 2020, things changed. When the case first appeared at my desk, the young man hoped to be...
I encouraged her to ask for help; and she did!
We often meet with clients for an hour at a time usually. In most cases, that one interaction in our only connection. Other cases, we have several FTMs on the same case so we see the parties more than once. So, trying to see how I have made a difference took me some...
From Angry Parenting to Unsupervised Visits, Jennifer’s Parenting Skills Improve with AIH
Did I hear you correct? Jennifer* took her four kids to the emergency room because she thought they ingested embalming fluid? I spent an hour talking to the foster care worker and hearing the case details. Immediately, I knew I had an unusual case after hearing...
A Little Support Can Change Lives
When we think about becoming first-time parents we are in a good place in our lives, we have a stable living situation and a solid support system. Now imagine that you are 19 and fresh out of high school and have none of that. When I first met Lisa,* she had been...
Change Happening Behind the Scenes Keeps Case Workers Motivated
When we work out in the field we do not always hear from our clients how we impact their lives. Then, one day I received a text from a client 3 weeks after I started working with the family. She said: “I just want to take a second and say that I am so thankful for...
A Domestic Violence Survivor Restored Stands-up to Provide for Her Children
I have only worked with this client a few weeks, but in those few weeks, I feel as if I have made a significant difference in how she sees herself and enabled her to be the strength her children needed to move forward. In the AIH program, we get referrals for a...
The Gift of a Life Restored, There is Hope for Everyone
I began working with a young man in his mid-twenties in November 2021. Unlike the oftentimes awkwardness of an initial meeting, this young man was immediately open with his life story, humble about past mistakes, and hopeful for a future that includes sobriety,...
Mentors Make a Difference!
It’s hard to target just one moment for our YIT youth that a difference in their life is made. From the excitement of a successful mentor match and the smile on the youth’s face on the car ride home from the match, as they discuss what they’re excited most about. To...