One of the most heartwarming outcomes of our partnership with Family Service & Children’s Aid and the Guardian Program is when families can reconnect. Here’s a story of how one such family is rebuilding those connections:
Ashley is a 42-year-old woman that struggles with severe mental health disorders. As a result, she has lived most of her adult life in Adult Foster Care homes. Twenty years ago, when she was made a ward of FSCA’s Guardian Program, her parents were incapable of meeting her needs and her siblings were too young to attempt to care for her. With advocacy from our staff, changes were made in her treatment planning to provide services for reunification with her family. Effective communications were established with her sister, and efforts have been made for reunification. Although the pandemic has slowed down the progress towards this reunification, after 18 months progress is taking place. Her sister is now visiting and taking her out on field trips in the community to meet other family members and enjoy her family’s support. The hope is that Ashley will go to live with family members and will no longer need FSCA’s Guardian Program.
Building bridges back to family is the power of partnership—and the power of your support for United Way. Please join us in this important work.
Image: Pexels/Yogii Surya Pangestu