Spaulding Youth Center Celebrates Ten Years of Adoption Success as Child Placing Agency
May 26, 2015Spaulding Youth Center celebrates adoption successes as a Child Placing Agency during National Foster Care Month. Since 2005, Spaulding Youth Center has recruited, trained and licensed families who are willing to open their hearts and homes to children in need.
“Our primary purpose when we became a Child Placing Agency was to assist children who were currently at Spaulding Youth Center move to a less restrictive environment,” shares CEO and President James Clements. “We are proud to serve this critical need for not only our students but for children throughout the state looking for a loving, nurturing family.”
Over the past decade, Spaulding Youth Center families have adopted 19 children and Spaulding Youth Center has supported two more families as they moved forward with adoptions of an additional three children. The journey towards permanency can be long, difficult and sometimes frustrating, but the end result is always worth the journey. Below is the most recent Spaulding Youth Center adoption success which marked an early beginning to the annual celebration of National Foster Care Month:
John and Charlotte have been together for over thirty years and realized that there was something missing in their lives. They had spoken with a licensed foster parent from Spaulding Youth Center and decided to find out more about foster care. John and Charlotte took the trainings, completed all of the necessary paperwork and were licensed through Spaulding Youth Center. They felt that a school-aged child would be the best fit for their home and it did not matter if it was a boy or a girl. They were excited – and they didn’t have to wait very long.
Shortly after completing their licensing requirements Spaulding Youth Center received a call from the Berlin DCYF office. They were looking for a home for two girls. Cheyenne was 10 years old and her younger sister Autumn was 8. Cheyenne, Autumn and their older brother were removed from their mother’s care in 2010. They experienced domestic violence, abuse, neglect and possible sexual abuse. They had no structure and consistency and often times were parenting themselves. The children’s behaviors were very difficult and they were subsequently placed in a residential setting. As time moved forward, the children learned appropriate coping strategies and their behaviors lessened. The decision came that they could move forward to a less restrictive setting: a foster home. 
Unfortunately, the girls’ attachment issues made it very difficult and they bounced from family to family.
After three failed placements in the span of six months, they moved in with John and Charlotte. The girls tested family, but John and Charlotte with the help of Spaulding Youth Center were able to move past the challenges. The girls were beginning to feel safe – they were home. They moved into John and Charlotte’s home in September of 2012, and they were adopted by John and Charlotte in March of 2015.
About Spaulding Youth Center
Spaulding Youth Center is a leading provider of services for children and youth with neurological, emotional, behavioral, learning and/or developmental challenges including Autism Spectrum Disorder. Services include academic, behavioral health, residential, foster care, health and wellness and family support. For information about Spaulding Youth Center, visit www.spauldingyouthcenter.org.
Interested in Learning More About Our Vibrant Campus?
If you are interested in an insider's view of a day in the life of Spaulding Academy & Family Services, we recommend visiting our online photo gallery or our video gallery. These are updated weekly so keep checking back for more great Spaulding moments!