Blog - Methodist Home for Children

Jumping Back In

Alexis, age 6; Jamie, age 5

They had done this. Kevin and Susan had raised three children into their teens already, so a couple of toddlers couldn’t do anything to surprise them. Right?

On his first day alone with Alexis and Jamie, Kevin turned his back for just a moment while the kids were in the kitchen. When he looked again, he saw the 2- and 3-year-olds “showering” in the water dispenser on the refrigerator.

The last time Kevin had parented preschoolers, his refrigerator didn’t even have a water dispenser. Now he and Susan were discovering all that had changed since their own teenagers were young – and suddenly remembering how relentless young children can be.

“They were everywhere,” Susan says.

Susan and Kevin were new to foster care then, but they were ready to jump back into the preschool hustle of car seats, diapers, and potty-training. They knew the first days with Alexis and Jamie would be chaotic. They were prepared for the demands of parenting neglected children who’d lost everything. Alexis missed her birth mother, and both struggled to sleep.

Today Alexis and Jamie are bright, happy kids – still everywhere, eager to try new things. They were adopted this summer and live every day secure in the love of their parents, Susan and Kevin, and their siblings Jacob, Emily, and Sam.

Christmas Joy

When a 7 year old child says, “Mom, I want to spread joy at Christmas” … when churches, families, Army Reservists, hoteliers, restaurants, schools, foundations, fitness clubs, hospitals, car dealerships, house cleaning services, radio stations, book stores, and friends on Facebook ALL join together to make sure our children and families have joy at Christmas, we are thankful. Your giving brings more joy than you can imagine.

Tyanna

I was placed in foster care at age 10, but I didn’t know it at the time. I was told by my mother that my older brother, Tyson, would be taking care of me. I thought nothing of it because Tyson always took care of me.

It wasn’t until the social workers started rolling in that I began to understand what was happening. They sat us down and explained that the Department of Social Services was going to take my twin brother and me away from our mom. But before they could place us in a new home, Tyson stepped up and took us. As I mentioned, Tyson was always there as our primary caretaker, so not much changed in the lives of my twin brother and me.

But everything changed for him. Tyson was 21 – raising two 9-year-olds. He withdrew from school to care for us, and he was still trying to settle into his own life with his new job and new home.

We began to settle in, and it was becoming apparent that we were not going back with my mom. Tyson knew he wanted to keep us but he didn’t know how to go about it. Years passed without much help from DSS. Then, Tyson received a life-changing message from Michelle Kennedy, the adoption supervisor at Methodist Home for Children.

Michelle opened up a world of resources as she explained the options to Tyson and, as a result, he was able to adopt not only me and my twin brother, but my youngest brother as well.

Meanwhile, my brother set the bar for me by modeling a strong work ethic and family values. He progressed from a security guard at Duke Energy to cybersecurity at Red Hat to his current position as a Microsoft specialist for Lenovo (update: Tyson is now North American workforce business analyst for Lenovo).

Watching him excel in his work has always made me want to do the same.

The Hackley Education & Learning Program has been on my team for two years now and because of that, I am starting my third year at East Carolina University as a birth-kindergarten education major, with at a 3.7 grade point average. When I graduate, I will pursue a master’s degree in social work.

I am where I am today because of Methodist Home for Children. It will now – and forever be – a part of who I am.

The Hackley Education & Learning Program supports the higher-education goals of students who’ve been in our foster care, adoption, multipurpose, and transitional living homes. The program provides financial support and a dedicated mentor.

Owen

Lessons in belonging

You need to know that you matter.

He is a teenager who captured the hearts of our staff. He had no place to go; he believed he had no one who cared. We showed him otherwise.

Meet Owen.

He is 17 years old.
His mother left him when he was 1.
Sometimes he lived with an aunt, but he spent most of his childhood with a guardian – the ex-husband of his mother’s sister (a different aunt) – whom he called “uncle.”
He came to our multipurpose home at age 16 for stealing his uncle’s truck.
His uncle is remarried, and Owen is no longer welcome in his home.
He gave our staff teacher a coffee mug and candy for Mother’s Day.
He discovered his own mother lived 15 miles away as he worked on a family tree project.
He wants to build a relationship with her.
He moved into our transitional living home last May to learn how to be independent.
For his birthday, we gave him a BMX bike.
He loves to read and keeps at least four books by his bed.
He earned his GED and forklift certification while he lived with us.
He worked hard in his first job at a fast-food restaurant.
He left us this spring and lives now with his 24-year-old cousin.
He doesn’t think his life is harder than that of other kids he knows.
He’s working at a bike shop, and he just got a promotion.
One day, he wants to go to college.

We will be here for him.

I wish you knew…

The assignment: Create a self-portrait and tell us about yourself.

Hertford home I’m proud I’ve been here because I feel that if I was still at home, I would be in more trouble. … I’m scared of the future when I get out on my own.

See more from Hertford

Specialized services My dream is to be a professional football player. I also want to be a quarterback. People just laugh. They think I can’t do it, but I think I can do it. I want to make my family proud of me.

See more from specialized services

Macon home I am A.
I understand why I’m here.
I say I’m awesome.
I dream about being a veterinarian.
I try to lose weight.
I hope to become a veterinarian. See more from Macon