Not on Our Watch- How Specialized Care is changing Isaac’s Story

Dec 15

Isaac is eight years old, and when he came to us, he had lived in 10 different homes.

He is in foster care here in the United States, but his story began long before he ever entered the system.

Like so many children we serve, Isaac’s story is layered with generational trauma. His birth mother grew up in foster care herself. She had no stable support system, no safe adults, and no access to trauma-informed care. Her own untreated trauma led to untreated mental illness, leaving her vulnerable and alone.

She was just 18 years old when Isaac was born.

Isaac entered the world already carrying the weight of neglect and substance exposure. Methamphetamines were found in his system at birth, and custody was immediately removed. Over the next several years, Isaac moved through ten different foster homes.

In his final placement before coming to the Jones family, Isaac was given an iPad with no viewing restrictions. For prolonged periods of time, he was exposed to extreme violence and other content no child’s brain is equipped to process.

When Isaac arrived at the Jones’ home at age eight, he didn’t know how to bathe or eat normally. He didn’t even know his true age.

He was aggressive, overwhelmed, and obsessed with violence, often hurting himself and others. His new parents did the bravest thing they could do: They asked for help.

Crisis Care in Action

After Isaac’s first five-hour comprehensive visit at The Adoption & Foster Care Clinic, he was immediately enrolled in our Crisis Care Plan.

This level of care exists for children whose needs are urgent, complex, and life-altering. Isaac now receives weekly Theraplay with Caitlin, a hands-on, attachment-based therapy that helps children experience safety, nurture, and regulation in real time. These sessions also equip parents with practical tools to respond to aggressive behaviors and build trust.

Both parents receive weekly one-on-one parent coaching, because healing doesn’t happen in isolation and because these children will expose every weakness a caregiver has. We ask parents to do hard, brave work, but we never ask them to do it alone.

The family has also been given free access to an online parent training program created by our partner, Show Hope, ensuring they are surrounded by consistent, trauma-informed guidance.

Seeing the Whole Child

Isaac underwent a thorough developmental assessment with Amy, who quickly discovered something that had been overlooked for years: Isaac is a bright, capable little boy.

In every previous school, he had been placed in a self-contained classroom—not because he couldn’t learn, but because his trauma-driven behaviors were misunderstood as defiance or danger.

Amy will now partner directly with his school to help teachers recognize trauma responses, implement appropriate supports, and create an environment where Isaac can be safe, learn, and begin forming friendships.

Medically, our team is closely monitoring Isaac’s ADHD and anxiety, both of which are likely rooted in early neglect and prenatal substance exposure. As an interdisciplinary team, we meet every other week to review his progress and adjust his care plan as needed.

This is what wraparound, trauma-informed care looks like.

Why We Believe in Isaac

We have seen this similar story many times before, and we know how it can change when families are supported.

Isaac will improve.

When he is not triggered by his haunting past, he is smart, funny, and kind. Recently, we watched him gently interact with our clinic’s therapy dog, and his tenderness brought us to tears.

His foster parents, who hope to adopt him as soon as the legal process is complete, are rockstars. They have hard work ahead of them, and we will stay with them for as long as it takes.

As Isaac grows, his needs will change. Puberty. Adolescence. Academic and social pressures. Launching into adulthood.

We will continue to monitor his emotional, academic, and relational development—because early healing matters, but long-term support changes outcomes.

Isaac will not become a statistic.

The Statistics Are Dire—But the Story Doesn’t Have to Be

60–90% of trafficked victims have been in foster care
70% of incarcerated adults in most states have been in foster care
Only 50% of foster kids graduate high school
Fewer than 3% of foster kids earn a college degree
70% of girls in foster care become pregnant before age 21
20% of youth who age out of foster care are immediately homeless

But not Isaac.
Not on our watch.

Woven Together: Where Healing Becomes Possible

The Woven Together Campaign exists to ensure that children like Isaac—and the families who love them—can access the specialized, trauma-informed care they desperately need, regardless of their ability to pay.

Insurance covers only a fraction of this work. The rest is made possible by donors who believe that children are worth fighting for and that families should not walk this road alone.

When you give to The Adoption and Foster Care Clinic, you are: