In the matter of foster care, nothing is perhaps more important than a child feeling wanted, understood and secure. So, the process of matching children and prospective parents must be done with exceptional care and consideration.
In our state, there are approximately 6,000 children in foster care, according to Alabama DHR, and it is estimated that as many as 90% of them have experienced a traumatic event in their lives. For more than 100 years, Gateway, a United Way of Central Alabama partner agency, has been dedicated to placing children in foster homes that provide a positive, stable environment where they can grow and realize their full potential.
Ashley Bevelle, a Foster Parent Success Coach at Gateway, recently shared the story of one child who has thrived after being placed in one of the organization’s Therapeutic Foster Care homes. Prior to Gateway’s involvement, the child (we’ll call him Alex) had been struggling with extreme feelings of abandonment, having already been placed unsuccessfully several times. As a result of that trauma, Alex would often experience outbursts of inappropriate behavior, disrupting his academic progress, social relationships and overall well-being.
Due to the negative impact that family trauma, neglect or abuse has on a child’s brain development, children in foster care need loving foster parents who are specially trained to respond to their emotional and behavioral needs. Gateway is the only agency in Alabama implementing Trauma Systems Therapy (TST), a nationally recognized trauma-informed treatment model. TST focuses on addressing both a child’s emotional dysregulation and the social environment that contributes to it.
Bevelle said Alex was about 12 years old when Gateway placed him in his current home. After identifying a licensed foster parent determined to be a good fit, pre-placement began. Pre-placement is a critical early phase of finding a new home, where the child and prospective parent have an extended opportunity to bond — usually over the course of a long weekend, Friday through Monday.
After a pre-placement is deemed successful, Bevelle said the real therapeutic work begins. Within the first 10 days of Alex’s placement in the new home, Gateway put together a treatment plan, based on a meeting between Alex and a psychiatrist, as well as consultation with a multidisciplinary team, including clinicians, psychiatric providers, educational specialists, support staff and legal advocates.
“This is a child who had come into care and was constantly being moved,” Bevelle said. “As a child, you’re seeking safety and security, and you can never feel settled if you’re always being moved.” Four years since he was successfully placed in foster care by Gateway and began treatment, Alex is now in high school. He’s doing well, recently earned his learner’s permit to start driving and has begun planning for college. He has also developed a deep passion for soccer.
Beville said the biggest transformation she has seen in Alex has been his confidence.
“I went from working with a child who always seemed like he was overwhelmed, riddled with anxiety, feeling like no one wanted him, to a child who says, ‘Listen to me. I have a voice,’” Bevelle said. “Alex is thriving. He’s exploring new things, trying sports, going to social events at school. It has been amazing to see.”
Gateway’s partnership with United Way is critical to this type of success and being able to carry out its mission, said Kate O’Day, the agency’s CEO.
“At Gateway, our mission to support children and families as they find hope and healing from the trauma they have experienced is strengthened every day by the partnership we have with United Way,” O’Day said. “Gateway believes that no one can do this work alone, and United Way’s investment and commitment to our work continues to create lasting change for families.”
In addition to training foster parents, Gateway also works to equip other adults in children’s life, such as educators, biological families and DHR staff, with the tools and knowledge to better support children impacted by trauma.
For more information about how United Way partners and programs work in Youth Health & Wellness, click here.