×

Nathan's Story


Finding the Right Home

Nathan is a fun, energetic teenager who loves basketball and video games. Circumstances in his family life necessitated that he be placed in foster care, where he struggled to regulate his emotions, often running away from home and engaging in dangerous behaviors. It was hard to figure out the best fit for him to successfully be able to heal from the trauma he experienced. Thankfully, he found his way to Homes that Heal.

Homes that Heal is a trauma-informed foster care program that works diligently to match youth with homes where they can heal from the trauma they have experienced. The families receive 24/7 help in the program to ensure that both the youth and the parents feel supported and well-equipped.

“We work to help all of our youth feel safe, comfortable, and welcomed in our homes,” says Blair Stephenson, treatment foster care specialist. “Finding the right home for our kids is so important, because we want them to feel stable and be successful. We want these families to be meaningful in the lives of our kids, and we understand the importance of stability to them.”

Blair and the rest of the Homes that Heal team placed Nathan with a family that he has thrived with. The team provides weekly home visits with a specialist and therapist to help Nathan work through his trauma history. They support him in his day-to-day life at home, at school and in the community. 

“Nathan has stopped running away and is making progress in communicating triggers, feelings and emotions with his foster dad,” says Blair. “His behavior has improved tremendously in school, and he’s been able to work at using his new coping skills and safety plan during the school day. He even recently joined the swim team.”

Learn more about our treatment foster care Homes that Heal program.