TEXAS: Preston* was very close to his mother until age 8, when she died. He couldn’t stay with his father after her untimely death, since the father’s parental rights were terminated. Having no additional family who could care for him, he entered foster care.
Since becoming a foster child, Preston has moved nine different times. He was immediately placed in a traditional foster home when he came into care. Once that placement failed, he went to live in a psychiatric hospital, then a series of residential treatment facilities, and a psychiatric home before settling into a group home, where he currently resides.
Amidst the challenges of being placed in nine different care settings, Preston’s case was given to Alex, a Big Country Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program Specialist. He used People Search, Family Connections, and Seneca Search, among other sources, to find a family for Preston. He also used these tools in Family Connections to find a photo of Preston’s mother since Preston only had one fading photo of his mother. By the end of this search, Alex collected almost 200 photographs! Alex’s wife used these photos to make a quilt, which Alex gifted Preston at a court hearing. Preston hugged Alex and was in awe of the gift.
“I will never sleep without it since it’s like she is back here with me,” Preston said.
Connect Our Kids tools didn’t stop at just reuniting Preston with his mother’s memory. Alex used the tools to locate Preston’s sister and some cousins. He is now renewing relationships and having regular visits with them. Preston is also on his way to adoption, and his overall behavior has improved. Alex is grateful to Connect Our Kids for helping him preserve a child’s loving memory of his deceased mother.
“I will never forget his reaction to the quilt and how the connection with his mother had been restored. This connection is only maintained because Connect Our Kids made it possible.”
To directly create more outcomes like Preston’s, please donate HERE. Connect Our Kids is a nonprofit dedicated to leveraging technology to find families, build connections, and make a community for children in the foster care system.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.
