Loving Care Makes Difference for Young Boy

*The following article appeared online December 11, 2011 on Southcoasttoday.com. It is written by Lauren Daley.

Spencer was, by all accounts, as uncontrollable as he was adorable, a blond, blue-eyed imp with two missing front teeth.

But the foster child also had a file an inch thick and a reputation for being angry and difficult and at age 7, had been bounced from home to home.

Until Paul and Sharon Hutchinson of Lakeville, who wanted to become foster parents, walked into the offices of Boys Town New England in Portsmouth, R.I. They took one look at Spencer and could not say no.

They knew his history, read his file, but still took him in with open arms, and refused to give up on him.

Today, Spencer's teachers and case worker say he's a different child, well-behaved, polite, self-controlled. They credit the loving care of the Hutchinsons, who took Spencer in in February of 2010. Last month, he moved to his "forever home"; just before Thanksgiving, he was adopted by a Plymouth family.

But Spencer will always have a relationship with his foster family.

"When I first came here, I was having problems with my anger. I was a ticking time bomb; I was going boom boom. Now I'm an angel," said Spencer, 10. (It is against Boys Town policy to release last names of children.)

Boys Town New England places foster children, boys and girls ages 3 to 17, with families in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Many of them have serious problems, including aggression and substance abuse. Many have also been physically and/or sexually abused, neglected, or abandoned.

Children are referred to Boys Town through the Department of Social Services. Boys Town finds them homes with licensed and trained foster parents.

"A lot of these kids have been bounced around in the system. Many have trust issues because they've been bounced around so much," said Bill Reardon, executive director of Boys Town New England. "For whatever reason, all these kids have been separated from their biological parents. Things happen."

Boys Town trained them from A to Z, the Hutchinsons said.

"To be honest, I didn't know if I was going to like being a foster dad, but I absolutely love it," said Paul, a musician who owns Blackbird Productions Recording Studio in Lakeville.

When Spencer first started at Assawompset Elementary School in Lakeville two years ago, he was placed in a special education classroom.

Assawompset adjustment counselor Paul Goulet said at first, Spencer "was unable to control his emotions. He could not calm himself down. He'd flip out."

Today, Goulet said, "Spencer has done a 180 turn with his behavior. He's in a regular classroom ... and he's doing amazing. A lot had to do with the structure with his foster placement. It's incredible."

Sharon, who works for a medical company in Rhode Island, said Spencer was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome — an autism spectrum disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. Structure is critical to his success, she said.

"I'm pretty much like a different person now," Spencer said. "I used to be in class with kids with special needs. And now I worked so hard and I made it to the regular class. It's like a video game. I did level after level, and I beat all the challenges."

The Hutchinsons said it was an agonizing and very personal decision not to adopt Spencer but they intend to remain very much a part of his life. They also have a second foster child, Zach, age 10, and plan on renewing their license again for another two years, at least.

Spencer said he was sad at leaving the Hutchinsons but excited about moving to his "forever home."

"I'm going to stay in one spot of the rest of my life," he said. "It's the longest I'll ever be anywhere. I'll never have to move again!"