Charlie first came to Boys Town New England’s attention in April 2022. At the time, he was just six years old and living at St. Vincent’s in Plymouth, RI. Because of staffing shortages, he was moved again -- this time to Fall River -- into a group home with youth much older than him. He stayed there for a year and a half simply because there were no foster homes available.
Before entering care, Charlie had lived in deeply unsafe conditions. His mother struggled with mental health challenges, housing instability and substance use. Her partner was a Level‑1 sex offender. The children’s medical and dental needs were neglected, and even at seven, his siblings were not potty trained. Charlie had experienced trauma at every level physically, emotionally and environmentally.
When Kim Gagne and the Costa family visited him at St. Vincent’s, they saw a child with high‑risk behaviors, but also a child who desperately wanted connection. During that first meeting, he told them he wanted to go home with them to get a hamburger. Shortly before his seventh birthday, he moved in with the Costas. Over the next year, they provided stability and care, and his permanency goal shifted to adoption.
Around Christmas 2022, the Baptista family -- Kaitie and Paolo -- were identified as a potential adoptive placement. Charlie had not lived with his mother or siblings in years, and his mother was not attending visits. All siblings had adoption goals. On his very first day in the new home, Charlie’s trauma surfaced -- he pulled down another youth’s pants and expressed suicidal ideation. His behavior was intense and deeply rooted in fear and instability.
But within six months, everything changed.
The Baptistas were fully engaged. They secured strong special education supports, enrolled him in sports and built a structured, nurturing routine. His behaviors decreased dramatically. He began to trust. He began to heal. In the classroom he still struggled, but at home he was thriving.
Then, nine months ago, Charlie’s permanency goal shifted again -- this time to reunification. Instead of stepping back, Kaitie and Paolo leaned in. They invited Charlie’s mother to soccer games. They built relationships with extended family. They created a bridge that made reunification possible rather than adversarial.
At the end of March, Charlie reunified with his mother. But the Baptistas remain a daily presence. Kaitie picks him up after school. He spends nights and weekends with them. They continue to be a stabilizing force as he navigates this transition. Charlie still struggles at times, but he is surrounded by adults who refuse to give up on him.
Charlie has now experienced every part of the child welfare continuum with Boys Town New England -- foster care, adoption planning and reunification. He is now 12 years old and his story is still unfolding.
Charlie’s journey is a powerful example of what Boys Town makes possible: safety when a child has nowhere to go, healing when trauma feels overwhelming and hope when the path forward is uncertain. He is thriving today because multiple families, staff and programs worked together to give him what every child deserves -- stability, connection and a chance at a better future.