Marcus was under the influence and out of control. He was an addict whose reckless behavior and bad judgment left him ill-equipped to care for himself or his family.
His poor choices culminated in a legal mess that involved drug possession and allegations of abuse toward his young sons, Marcus Jr. and Micah. Both were placed in protective custody.
If the family was ever going to be reunited, this single dad had to change his life. The best factor in his favor is that he wanted to try.
As part of his rehabilitation, Marcus was referred to Boys Town New England's Care Coordination Services (CCS) to get support and guidance on how to create a safe, stable home environment. The CCS program includes a visitation component, so parents like Marcus can get coaching and participate in skill-building activities to repair their family relationships and ensure successful reunification.
For nearly nine months, a Boys Town CCS Consultant worked with Marcus. Much of that time was spent on refining and reshaping his parenting style. According to Dad, he disciplined his kids the same way he had been disciplined. But those old-school methods were often harsh, sometimes physical and always ineffective.
To empower Marcus to become a more compassionate and capable parent, the CCS Consultant introduced him to Boys Town Common Sense Parenting® skills.
The Consultant taught Marcus how to provide positive attention, use appropriate consequences, model healthy behaviors and communicate clearly. Marcus also learned how to advocate for himself and his children so the family could be reunited.
Throughout the intervention, Marcus was honest, transparent and remorseful about his past misdeeds. He never made excuses or wallowed in self-pity. He stayed focused on improving himself and making his family whole again.
In the end, his perseverance paid off.
Marcus and the children spent a happy Christmas and New Year's together – unsupervised. The reunion was such a success, the family was permanently reunited a few weeks later.
Today, everyone is doing well. Marcus Jr. and Micah are responding to Dad's new parenting style. Both love books and school, and Micah recently made the honor roll.
Thanks to Boys Town's help and Dad's determination to change, the family is happier, healthier and whole again.
