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| success stories |
Letters and articles from former clients and their families.
Two Foster Care Siblings Graduate from High School and Head to College!
Watching siblings Sierra and Donald* walk across the stage at their high school graduation was a proud moment for Shauna, James and India. As foster parents and a biological parent they knew this was one of the moments they had been working towards for thirteen years. Sierra and Donald had become part of Rosemont Center's Treatment Foster Care program at the ages of 5 and 6.
Through the years, the children, foster parents, and biological Mom had faced many challenges. Some days it was difficult to deal with Franklin County Children's Services and get the needs met for the children. It was tough to come to agreement on how the children should be raised. And, over the thirteen years they had seen several different clinicians come through their door, have to forge new relationships each time.
Sierra and Donald has been diagnosed bipolar and had struggled through hard times in their mental health journey. But, on graduation day all parties could agree that the children had come a long way in respects to their maturity, adulthood, and independent living.
In her Senior year Sierra had competed on the track team, planned the Senior Prom with the prom committee and was even nominated for the Prom Court. In school she had worked hard and received her dental assistant license, x-ray license, and was accepted to the University of Cincinnati with a 1000 scholarship. She will begin this summer in the dental hygiene program.
Donald attended both the technical school and regular high school. Also working hard he received his eletrical license. He is working in an apprenticeship and has been accepted to continue his education at Hocking Community College!
Rosemont Center is delighted to wish both Sierra and Donald good luck as they continue on in the next steps of their journey!
*All names have been changed to protect families involved.
From a dog owner to our client (Dog was adopted from Rosemont's Kids n Kanines Program part of the Day Treatment program) January 2009
"To Nellie's Dog-Trainer
Hi. We haven't met, but I know your work. I am Nellie's new owner, or should I say "relative" because she chose my family as much as we chose her. A lot of that was because of her magical "butt-wag", but a lot was also because of your great handling of her.
Nellie is the best behaved, best adjusted dog I have met in a very long time. That is a testament not only to the work that you put into her training, but also a reflection of the love and kindness that you showed her. It takes a big person to give that kind of affection to a dog, so please pardon my pleasant surprise when I heard that you are only a young man.
Wherever you go, dogs are just like small children. They look up at us adult humans with nothing but love in their eyes, joy in their hearts, and boundless trust in their minds. They live for our slightest approval and ask for so little in return. They are the blank canvas upon which we paint our own self-portrait. So sadly, that portrait is often times not a very pretty picture. But you, my young friend; paint a wonderful picture and Nellie is the reflection on your kind soul.
I just want to thank you very sincerely and urge you to keep on doing good work. Like Paul McCartney said "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." In other words, keep putting it out there and it will come back to you.
Very Truly Yours,
Nellie's New Dad"
From a parent to Rosemont: September 2007
"I just wanted to say thank you to Rosemont for having such a wonderful program for children in crisis. If it hadn't been for your therapists and doctors I don't know if my son would be here today.
My son had been in and out of Hospitalization for two years for suicidal and homicidal ideation. He was diagnosed with an array of problems and put on several different medications through the course of his stays at the psychiatric hospitals. It seemed like a revolving door at the hospitals. I was trying to work with the Schools to get an Individual Education plan done for my son because from November to January he had only attended school a total of 12 days due to the hospitalizations and his fear of school. Children Services started to investigate our family because as a single parent I wasn't keeping my son safe by
leaving him home during the day while I worked.
I heard about Rosemont by word of mouth. Growing up in Columbus I knew it as a place for troubled girls, not boys. It wasn't until I was trying to get my son's I.E.P completed that someone mentioned Rosemont Center to me as an option for treatment. I was told it would be hard to get my son into the program, but it was worth trying at this point in time, I had nothing to lose except my son and that drove me to do what I had to do to get him the help he needed. I found it much easier than I was told to get my son an appointment at Rosemont.
When my son met with Rosemont's therapist he was very much the same person he was before all the hospitalizations. He hated himself, school, counseling and other kids. The therapist had a long road ahead of her because he was adamant he wasn't going to change his attitude about life and school. After the first session my son didn't want to return, but after several more sessions something clicked and the next thing I knew my son opened up to his therapist. He was actually talking about how he felt, what he liked, and what he didn't like. I was amazed, he would never talk to anyone else but me.
My son is now a happy, outgoing 15 year old who enjoys life. He actually smiles and laughs now, which before would have never happened. The past four years were spent being sad and moody. He went from wanting to die to wanting to live. He told everyone including our therapist that he would never go to school again. He wanted to be on home instruction until he graduated. I am happy to report that he now attends High school on a full time basis and loves it! What a difference seven months have made for my son. He has a new lease on life.
Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart to the Rosemont Center and your staff for the
commitment to helping my son succeed.
Rosemont has been such a great asset in my life. I came to Rosemont when I was 14 years old. I was a liar and a mass manipulator. I lived in the cottages and the group home. I was at Rosemont for a total of a year and a half. Over that time I grew and became a better person. After that I moved to a foster home with the McIntosh family. There I became successful. I graduated high school in 2004 and went to the University of Cincinnati for two years. Even though I am no longer in Rosemont's care, they still provide me with a $2500 scholarship for books every year. Thanks to Rosemont I am in my third year in college and a wonderful mother to a beautiful 8 week old baby.
Ciera Hardnick
August 16, 2005
I was involved with the Rosemont Center during my seventh grade year. My academics had slipped greatly in the fifth and sixth grade. I was having some trouble with my family during that period, and I became involved with the juvenile court and Franklin County Children's Services. It was through their referral that I spent a year involved at the Rosemont Center for the daytime program.
The year I spent involved with Rosemont was important for me and very positive. Overall, it showed me that I wasn't as bad as I thought I was. The teachers and staff helped me to see I could be a student again. I had been a terrible student the years before Rosemont, and I did much better the year after, when I went into the eighth grade. I realized I could be a leader, and I had influence over others. Some of the other students followed my example. I was encouraged to think that I could be anything I wanted to be. If I worked hard, there were rewards. As a side benefit, I even developed as a basketball player.
Progress has not been perfect, but I have made good steps toward becoming more in control of myself and a solid student. Three weeks ago I graduated from high school. I have been accepted in college. In a week I will start classes at the Ohio Dominican University here in Columbus. I hope to keep improving as a student and maybe play basketball for the school. I plan to major in criminal justice studies. Perhaps I can be an adult model for others who have had difficulties during their youth.
If there are those involved now with the Rosemont Center who were helping six years ago, please thank them, and the Center as an organization, for their help. It was an important year during which I began to turn around some bad patterns, and I am glad for your help.
Sincerely,
Peter Anthony Van Dine
Fall 2005
Happy Days Are Here Again!
No matter what happens in this courtroom, Deshawn will still be my son, says adoptive father, Charles Woods. Woods recently made this dramatic statement in front of the magistrate during Deshawn's legalization hearing. When Deshawn got his opportunity to speak, he expressed his commitment to the Woods family. The Woods are my parents. They have been there for me, and I love them. Caseworker Pat Hill stated, It was the most emotional and loving legalization I have ever been involved in. There was not a dry eye in the courtroom.
You would not know it now, but nineteen year-old Deshawn had many challenges throughout his life. He had been involved off and on with Children Services since 1991. After his biological mother's death, Deshawn was placed with relatives. In 2000, after they could no longer care for him, Deshawn was placed in foster care. Due to Deshawn's explosive temper, and other behaviors, he disrupted from two foster care placements.
In 2001, Deshawn's fortunes began to change when he was placed into the home of Charles and Annette Woods. Initially Deshawn displayed defiant and aggressive behaviors. He often got into fights with peers, and displayed inappropriate behaviors in the home, however the Wood's unconditional love and commitment to Deshawn persevered.
Today Deshawn has graduated from high school and plans to attend college in Texas. "The Wood's home was the first home I have ever been in where I didn't feel like a foster child," says Deshawn. Mrs. Woods summed it up best by stating, "I love Deshawn with all my heart. I feel as though I birthed him."
(Reprinted with permission from Franklin County Children's Services Newsletter)
November 19, 2004
I am a 16-year-old teenage boy and I have had a very hard life. I have been removed from my home and placed in at least five foster homes. I have struggled with feelings of anger, sadness and low self-esteem. These feelings caused me to do poorly in school, and to get involved in criminal activity in the community. I frequently got into fights and didn't follow the rules at home. I constantly felt angry and sad, and didn't know how to handle these feelings.
In February, 2004, I was placed in a caring foster home. A few months later, I began counseling at the Rosemont Center to work on my anger and depression, and to improve my self-esteem. My foster parents provided me with rules and boundaries. They offered me a safe home and showed that they cared about me. They taught me that I can be successful and achieve my dreams.
Working with my counselor at Rosemont Center has helped me learn to control my anger and improve my ability to handle tough situations. I no longer feel bad about myself and have been able to put my past behind me. I now believe that I have a bright future and can succeed, no matter what happened to me in the past.
I am now doing well in school and I am studying hard to catch up with my studies. I am looking forward to playing basketball and, someday, going to college. I am thankful that my foster parents and counselor helped me choose the right path.
Yours truly,
Dub D.
November 2005
My name is Stella. I am 14 years old and attend middle school. I have lived with the most wonderful foster parents in the world for the last eight years. My family is the best—they help me in any way they can. They have treated me better than I could ever have dreamed of. They are big supporters in all that I do. I am currently playing softball and I also made the cheerleading squad. I sing in the choir and recently went to competition and performed a solo—and received a superior rating—the best rating you can get! Because of my foster parents, I have been able to be all that I can be and achieve my goals. I am now visiting my biological mother for the first time in a couple of years. I am just taking life one step at a time because you never know what's coming next. I am writing this because foster care isn't as bad as you might think. You just have to take the time and work with it. I have learned that you can be what you want to be. Well, thank you for letting me share my story.
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