Jared, Bella, Sam and Max are full of smiles as they chase each other around the playground. Sadly, it hasn’t always been like this. Who they are today is a stark contrast to just a few months ago when they were brought into the care of LFCS.
A hotline call notified Children’s Division that 8-year old twins, Jared and Bella, had repeatedly shown up to school with suspicious bruises. An investigation revealed the children, and their two younger siblings, suffered severe physical and verbal abuse at the hands of their mother and her boyfriend. The children endured daily beatings and were often locked in a room for hours, their wrists bound in duct tape. They had never been truly cared for or loved.
Finding the right home for Jared, Bella, Sam and Max was so important. They needed more than a place to sleep at night. Lynn, a single woman who had fostered many children before, knew she could care for them and welcomed the siblings into her home.
The first few weeks were not easy. Jared and Bella had severe PTSD and woke with night terrors regularly. Sam (5) was non-verbal and struggled with bed-wetting, and 20-month old Max was not walking and had severe health issues that his birth mother never addressed.
With the support of LFCS, Lynn could successfully address the needs of all four children. Jared, Bella and Sam started counseling. Max began medical treatment and physical therapy. Soon nights were less worrisome and days passed without incident.
Today, Jared and Bella are doing well and living with their father, Kyle. Lynn continues to care for Sam and Max. The family reunites weekly and Kyle hopes to have them all living together soon. Until then, he and Lynn revel in the innocence that has returned to the children’s eyes.
If you would like to help kids like Jared, Bella, Sam and Max consider making a gift to LFCS today. Your support makes the help they need readily available.
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, learn more now.