Basic & Therapeutic Care

 

They are bright, articulate, and funny. They enjoy each other's company. If you ask the older girls what they are most thankful for, they will tell you very quickly. "This is the first time we've all lived together in one place!" Sonya and Sheila are delighted to be able to see their younger brothers and sisters every day, a feat that would be impossible without The Children's Home.

The story started a number of years ago, when it became apparent to the authorities that the children were not safe at home with their parents. Social workers intervened. The little ones left home first, to live in separate foster homes and other out-of-home placements. Eventually the older sisters were removed from the home, and the search began for a placement that would allow the siblings to be together. It ended at The Children's Home of Lubbock.

Caseworkers for the children were looking for an agency that could deal with the individual problems of each child. The children were remarkably resilient, considering their past; they were outgoing and eager to please. But because they had been left to "bring themselves up", none of the children had all the skills they needed.

Each child had dealt with the scars of their collective past in a different way, some healthy and some not. That meant that each child needed a different kind of child care program to help them meet their problems head-on and realize their full potential.

In particular, Karen, the youngest of the siblings, suffered from a host of fears that were scariest at bedtime and bathtime, and getting her to bed was a nightly ordeal that might require hours. By the time she arrived at The Children's Home, the little four-year-old badly needed the stability of a calm and loving environment in which she could learn how to deal with her fears.

Her five-year-old brother, Jack, was full of energy, rowdy and undisciplined. He needed a tightly structured environment where he could learn how to channel his emotions, harness his energy, and use his sparkling personality to bless other people rather than to cause trouble.

The middle siblings, Don and David, suffered from dyslexia and were far behind in school. They were natural athletes and quite artistic. They needed help to fulfill their potential, a place where they were free to be the funny, affectionate little boys they had been created to be.

The older girls, who were 10 and 11, needed to be the older sisters, not the parents. They were outgoing, quick to make friends, and good students. A place that would keep them safe and allow them to be a family with their younger siblings was exactly what they needed.

Caseworkers for the children consulted with our staff to determine if the programs of care at The Children's Home of Lubbock could meet their stated goal of having all the children together in one location. The older children needed the basic care that any child deserves--a place to be safe, well-fed, and lovingly cared for and taught. The little ones needed all those things and more--more intensive therapy for their wounds and a more structured environment for learning the social skills they had not yet acquired.

Because The Children's Home offers such a wide variety of programs for the children it serves, the needs of all the children could be met right here, on one campus, allowing the children plenty of opportunity to come and go, visiting with each other, going to school together on the bus each day, meeting in the Mabee Gym for a little play time together. Their loyalty to each other has been reinforced by the time they are able to spend together. They praise each other, explain things to each other, and express their affection freely. They are quick to express their gratitude for being able to live "all in one place".