Earlier this year, two boys found themselves in a precarious situation. Financially, their family had been struggling, their opportunities were limited and it looked like the older of the two kids might not be able to finish high school. However, one of their aunts managed to take them in and give them a stable home to live and thrive in. It was not an easy transition as the aunt already had multiple children of her own to take care of, she was a first-time foster parent, and not to mention she had no experience parenting two teenage boys.
Of course, being who she was, the aunt chose not to quit. She would never stop fighting for her family, including the boys under her care. While working with the Department of Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) in Rhode Island, she began seeing a local social worker. Through this partnership, she began putting together a training routine. From there, DCYF referred the situation to Boys Town and one of our own consultants was happy to help.
Over the next several weeks, working together with the family and the assigned DCYF social worker, a Boys Town consultant created a day-by-day, week-by-week training routine for the aunt. The aunt completed her “Common Sense Parenting” class, wearing this as a badge of pride. She shared what she learned and, over time, became more and more confident in her approach and bonded with her two nephews, thereby creating a healthier atmosphere of mutual admiration and respect.
In this environment, the boys thrived and were able to not only attend school but also attain great academic achievements. The older of the two boys is now on track to graduate this year, is applying to colleges and even participated in their first university campus tour. The younger boy joined the school band and engaged with all manner of extracurriculars, truly showing his growth in and out of school.
Through the consultant, the aunt contacted a local “Just 4 Kids” clothing support group which provided easy access to school clothes and other supplies for her children. The social worker in turn was able to get the aunt signed up for a local food pantry, allowing her to achieve a sense of economic stability and security.
Through the hard work and dedication of the aunt, her social worker, Boys Town’s consultant and of course the boys themselves, this situation — which could have easily gone the other way — is showing tremendously positive results. The older boy is graduating this spring, while the younger boy is thriving in their school and looking forward to applying to colleges this coming fall.