The Department of Human Services took 13-year-old Michael and his 9-year-old brother out of their home when their fathers abuse left the younger boy with a broken arm. Their mother, suffering from severe depression, was unable to care for them, and they ended up in foster care.

The 9-year-old, who has Attention Deficit Disorder, went to a DHS home. Michael entered Kerrs Crisis Psychiatric Residential Program. Moody, depressed and extremely angry, he was paired with a skills trainer to help him find ways to decrease his anxiety and express his feelings. When he moved into a Kerr foster home, his therapists also began working with his mother, who was in therapy on her own.

Through weekly supervised visits, Michael and his mom started developing a more normal parent-child relationship. Soon, Michaels younger brother joined him in the Kerr foster home and in supervised visits with their mother. The foster family, particularly the father, became very close with all three, helping Michael join the Boy Scouts and providing a stable, loving role model.

Kerrs foster support team worked with the foster parents, the boys and their mother to weather the rough parts of their new relationship, helping the mother learn parenting skills and offering 24-hour support for these high-need children.

Less than a year later, Michael and his brother are living at home with their mother. Michael was recently name student of the month at his school, where he is on the basketball team and has several friends. All three keep in touch with the foster family and are continuing with individual and family therapy, making sure they keep their new ties with each other and the community strong.