Joey's Story
Joey’s family was in crisis. When 8-year old Joey—who has autism—was not screaming, hitting, or biting his family members, he was crying. He wouldn’t eat. His family didn’t know what to do. In one month, Joey was in the emergency room four times.
Desperate for help, Joey’s mother contacted a nursing facility for children about placing him there. The staff knew that the facility was not the right kind of setting for Joey. But they were familiar with EveryChild and connected the family to them.
EveryChild helped Joey’s mother learn about other options. She learned about the possibility of shared parenting with a support family. She liked that Joey would continue to live in a family. She could see how both families could support each other to meet his intensive needs. And she felt living with a Support Family could give her family a chance to regroup after months of crisis.
Joey moved in with a great, loving Support Family. Together with professionals a plan was developed which included behavioral support services.
Both families learned strategies they could use to help Joey become more comfortable. Joey began to do better and was able to return home. His mother can now see a better future for her son and her family.