Success Stories

Brady and Brenda, siblings separated after losing their mother, were placed miles apart in separate group detention homes. They begged to live together—or with their aunt, who had a safe and loving home waiting for them. Yet, a judge denied both requests without explanation. Even worse, when the Center for the Rights of Abused Children offered to represent them pro bono, the judge denied them legal representation.

Severely abused in her home, Sienna was placed in foster care at 13. At 18, she aged out of the system. Homeless and penniless, she returned to the street she grew up on. There, she was violently attacked, but the police charged both her and her attacker with domestic violence.

Maggie entered foster care at age 3, bouncing from placement to placement and school to school. During kindergarten and first grade alone, she changed schools four times. By third grade, Maggie couldn’t read and was routinely expelled from school.

As a newborn, Grace was abandoned in a Greyhound bus station bathroom. Her fragile body shook from the effects of meth and heroin. Thanks to a stranger’s call to 911, Grace made it to the hospital where she was nursed back to health. No one ever came for Grace.

Ethan spent a total of 13 years in foster care, moving in and out of over 40 homes. Ethan said, “With no family to help me, my ‘graduation plan’ was to rob convenience stores until I was put in prison.” Ethan told us that prison’s regular meals, a guaranteed bed at night, and a predictable routine sounded better than becoming homeless.

Kate’s mom, addicted to meth, viewed her daughter as nothing more than a way to get more drugs. When Kate was eleven years old, her mom forced her to have sex with drug runners. The men threatened to kill her if she told anyone. Terrified and violently abused, Kate became almost unrecognizable.

At five years old, Alex was placed in kinship foster care with his aunt. When he started kindergarten, it was clear to his aunt that Alex needed help. Alex’s aunt wanted to have him evaluated for special education, but she needed his mother’s consent. For months, the school tried to reach her, but she was nowhere to be found. In the meantime, Alex got further and further behind.

Captain of his middle school basketball team, Cash is on top of the world these days. But even with the Green family eager to adopt him, the road to love and stability was bumpier than it needed to be.

Claire is studying hard to prep for college, so she can become an architect just like her big sister. That dream is possible because a courageous family member rescued Claire from a parent who was selling Claire for drug money.

It took eight long and difficult years, but Maya and her little brother Kevin are together again—with their forever family. The two love camping trips and playing basketball in the driveway.

Drew and his three brothers were born to violence in a local meth house. When Drew was six, the four brothers were found lying on filthy mattresses, with no food or even a bathroom to use.

Liam entered foster care at age 13. Due to the national shortage of foster families, Liam landed in a group home, where he was ruthlessly bullied. At age 16, he ran away, hoping to find relatives, but ended up sleeping in bus stations and shelters. He was truly on his own.

Daniel and Darla have a strong bond that’s common among siblings who’ve survived abuse. Fortunately, the Center for the Rights of Abused Children has found a way to make sure they grow up together.

Brothers Leo and Peter love playing soccer with their friends on weekends. They are thriving in grade school. Their health and happiness, though, wasn’t always assured.

A happy first grader, Isabel loves to practice writing her ABCs and has just discovered the magic of the Tooth Fairy. Four years earlier, Isabel’s life was on a much different path.

The Williams brothers, Elijah and Ezra, tested positive for meth in the delivery room. The younger brother, Ezra, also had cerebral palsy. For months, the two babies survived in squalor with a drug-addicted mom who sold drugs, was repeatedly evicted, and refused the free in-home medical services Ezra needed.