Charles, A Story of Hope
Charles* came to Daniel House I at the age of eleven. Prior to admission to Glenwood, Charles was living in a foster home and was separated from his brothers because they could not seem to get along while living together. Charles had a mother and grandmother who he was not allowed to see while he was in foster care. Initially, Charles had significant difficulties staying focused in school, was very behind in all of his subjects in school, and basically did not like school at all.
At the residence, Charles did not like following directions, argued with staff, argued with peers and would not take any responsibility for his behaviors. Charles however had a great love: a love of the outdoors, and would rather spend all of his time fishing at the lake than doing anything else, even eating! Staff quickly realized that this was their “in” to understanding Charles. Soon, staff were seen to be sitting outside working with him on his fishing great, teaching him to cast in the driveway, and eventually taking him on fishing trips to the lake and to the bass pond here on Glenwood’s campus. Charles could spend hours taking apart a fishing reel and putting it back together again. Around this time, Charles’ mom was able to start coming on campus to visit with him. Eventually, she and Charles would spend their visits at the pond eating bologna sandwiches and fishing all afternoon.
Over time, with the increase in visitation and the increased trust in Glenwood’s staff, Charles’ behaviors got better. He started taking responsibility for his behaviors and responded to redirects from staff in a positive way. School work became more of a priority. After 17 months at Glenwood, Charles was able to move home with his mother. Due to the hard work of the Glenwood staff, Charles’ mom and Charles, he was able to return home and attend public school with supports.
*Name has been changed to protect this child
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