When Corey* was five, he was removed from his mother’s custody because of neglect and placed into protective care. Reunification with his mother was not an option and the county could not find relatives he could live with. Over the next six years, Corey was moved between 15 different foster placements and then placed in a group home. Corey struggled at school and had a hard time making friends.

Without intervention, Corey would’ve remained in the group home until he aged out and entered adulthood on his own. But the county referred him to Stanford Sierra Youth & Families, where he was introduced to Alyssa*, a permanency worker. Alyssa’s first goal was to earn Corey’s trust and build a rapport with him. She learned that although Corey sometimes thought about being part of a family, these thoughts could make him feel guilty, as if he was betraying his mom. Alyssa also learned that Corey loved to watch cooking shows online and that despite all he’d been through he was hopeful about joining a family someday.

While attending an event for families interested in adoption, Alyssa met Louise* and Michael* Davidson*. The Davidsons had two sons already, both of them adopted, and they wanted to grow their family. Alyssa and the Davidsons met several more times to determine if they were a good match for Corey, and finally arranged a meeting. The first meeting went well. Corey seemed interested in seeing the Davidsons again. He still struggled with feelings of loyalty to his birth mom, so Alyssa planned short visits between Corey and the Davidsons. Over the course of six months, the meetings became longer and more frequent. During one of the visits, Corey learned that Michael liked to cook too and was building a barbecue pit in the family’s backyard. Corey was excited to see it.

Last spring, Corey moved in with the Davidsons. With Alyssa’s help, they’ve started the adoption process. Alyssa also coordinated with the Davidsons and the county social worker to create a schedule of supervised visits between Corey and his birth mom. Corey has joined his junior high football team, where he’s made a group of friends. Sometimes, they join Corey and his family for Sunday afternoon barbecues. As the Davidsons continue their journey together, they know Alyssa and Stanford Sierra Youth & Families will be there when they need them.

*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.