Thank You for Helping a Child Feel Valued and Loved

When 13-year-old Laila* arrived at HomeSafe, she had endured a turbulent and violent childhood marked by human trafficking, neglect, physical abuse, and witnessing domestic violence. No one in her world cared about her. She lashed out at others because they were a threat to her safety. Laila also internalized her pain, convinced that the bad things that had happened to her—the abuse, the neglect, and even her mother’s recent miscarriage—were her fault.

Laila made the brave decision to share with her middle-school teacher the abuse and neglect she was experiencing at home. A DCF investigation was launched, and she was placed in the foster care system.

We all know how challenged and imperfect the foster care system can be. By the time she landed at HomeSafe, it was her tenth placement.

At first Laila was angry and defensive, resistant to the rules put in place by a new group of adults whom she didn’t trust. However, if you know anything about our team members at HomeSafe, it’s this: we love our kids. And that means we understand the depth of their trauma; we understand that the anger and hostility are part of their pathway to healing—as we’d rather have their anger turned outward rather than destructively inward. As you can imagine, our love and understanding melted the emotional walls she kept in place through her anger.

Ms. Porsche sat with Laila for hours listening to her with deep understanding, and for the first time in Laila’s life, she felt heard and loved. Her therapist, Ms. Jenna, helped Laila build healthy coping skills to settle her intense emotions when she felt triggered and out of control. And program supervisor, Ms. DeAnna served as a mother figure to Laila, planning exciting outings that would help her connect with our staff and with her peers, and build up her confidence, trust, and self-worth.

After a year at HomeSafe, Laila knows that she is loved and that she matters. She is grateful to have learned to hope for a happy future. In her words, “When you hope, anything is possible.” Laila now has the motivation and confidence to prioritize school work. Reflecting her own life, her mediocre grades have become straight A’s. Last school year, she also ran for student-body president of her eighth grade class.

One of Laila’s deepest desires is to be reunited with her brothers. Recently Laila’s wish came true. She has graduated from HomeSafe and moved back in with a family member and her siblings. Looking to the future, she wants to run for president of her high school class, pursue a career as a marine biologist, and devote her time to helping struggling teen mothers like her own mom.

We asked Laila what our supporters should know. Her response:

Thank you for having a kind heart. Your generosity helped me to see that people actually care about us, about me. I thought people didn’t care at all about kids in the system and that we were a burden. Now, I know that we mean something to other people. I’m really grateful that we’re cared for and loved.

*Laila’s name has been changed to preserve her privacy.