All children should be seen and heard.

Success Stories

Client names and other identifying information have been changed to protect client confidentiality.

Cam gets back on track to graduate

Cam was twelve when his mother died. He tried living with various family members, but those arrangements didn’t work out and he eventually moved in with family friends. Despite the trauma of losing his mother, ensuing depression, and very unstable living situations, Cam was mostly able to keep himself together. He got good grades and stayed out of trouble throughout middle and high school. However, halfway through his senior year and only four months before graduation, Cam made a big mistake. He was emergency expelled from school for being under the influence of marijuana. Suddenly out of school indefinitely and involved with the juvenile court, Cam felt like he was at risk of losing everything he had worked so hard for. Cam’s public defender referred him to TeamChild. TeamChild helped him appeal the emergency expulsion and negotiated an immediate return to school so that he would not lose his chance to graduate. With TeamChild’s help, Cam also secured an outpatient drug treatment program and counseling for his depression.

Enrique reconnects to school with appropriate special education services

Enrique and his mother moved to Washington to start a new life after Enrique's father left the family. In California, Enrique had been provided special education services to help him with his academic and behavior disabilities. When his mother enrolled him in his new high school, she let the school know about her son's need for special education services. Unfortunately, the school district never provided Enrique with special education services. Without the support he badly needed, Enrique began failing all his classes and getting punished for minor acts of misbehavior in the classroom. By the end of the school year, the school emergency expelled him for allegations of theft. TeamChild successfully advocated for the expulsion to be lifted and for the school to start providing Enrique with the special education services that he needed to be more successful in school. As a result of these negotiations, Enrique is enrolled and attended school.

Sarah is back in middle school after being out of school for over a year

Sarah was 14 when she was emergency expelled from school for making a threat. She lived with a family friend because of many years of family conflict. The family friend that took Sarah in tried to advocate for her return to school but was unsuccessful. By the time she was referred to TeamChild, she had been out of school for an entire year without educational services of any kind. Sarah thought she did not have any options for public education in the district where she lived and she didn't have the money to pay for a private school. When TeamChild helped Sarah assert her right to education, the district agreed to lift the expulsion and immediately return her to a middle school in the district.

Ashley is connected to a stable foster home

Ashley was referred to TeamChild by multiple community agencies because she and her adoptive parents were in severe conflict. At the age of 14, she had lived away from home for a long time, bouncing between the psychiatric hospital, the Crisis Residential Center, and the youth shelter. During this time, Ashley experienced additional trauma. She was physically assaulted by youth she encountered on the streets; she was charged with several juvenile offenses; and she was found in contempt of the court order in her At Risk Youth case. TeamChild helped Ashley secure a safe and stable foster home which allowed her to engage in services that supported reunification with her adoptive family.

Larry regains access to his social security benefits

After losing his mother, Larry went to live with a maternal aunt. Before his mother’s death, Larry had been found eligible for cash and medical assistance from SSI because of disabilities due to fetal alcohol exposure. Although he had stopped living with her as he grew older, his aunt continued to be his protective payee for his social security benefits but hadn’t provided any of these funds to him for over six months. When Larry was arrested for behavior related to his disabilities his public defender, probation counselor, and the prosecutor recognized his significant needs and referred him to TeamChild. TeamChild helped Larry get a new representative payee and obtain a new state identification card. With these things in place, Larry could now learn to manage his own money and access food banks. Larry was released from detention after the court determined that he was not competent to be charged. He found a safe place to live with a friend’s family.

Michael’s developmental disability services are reinstated and enhanced

Michael suffers from severe developmental disabilities making him easily influenced by his peers. This caused him trouble in the past, including facing criminal charges and having problems at school. TeamChild had helped Michael and his guardian grandparents become eligible for services from the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), including personal care hours that allowed the family to hire someone to support and watch out for Michael. Michael and his family were devastated and confused when they learned that he was no longer eligible for DDD services. DDD services had helped Michael stay out of trouble. Nothing had changed regarding his disabilities. Michael’s TeamChild attorney immediately filed a hearing request to challenge the denial. As a result of the hearing request, DDD reversed its decision, reinstated Michael’s services, and re-evaluated Michael’s needs which ultimately resulted in additional personal care hours.