Depaul Expressions Vol XXII-2

Finding Hope in a Moment of Darkness Story by Alison Wickline-Burns | Photos by Taylored Images

st ick around. That ’s when Mark and Cher r i were int roduced to DePaul ’s Post-Adopt ion Services program. “ I wasn’t sure what my hopes and needs were from DePaul, but I was grasping at anything that could have a posit ive impact for our family,” said Cherr i . “Mark and I wanted to keep Brooklynn in our home, but we also wondered if we were truly what was ‘ best ’ for her. We were al l barely sur v i v ing and didn’ t know i f we could hang on much longer.” In the program, the family f inal ly found what they had been searching for—support, stabil ity, guidance, compassion, and hope. They were l inked with much-needed resources and cr isis suppor t, advocated for at meet ings, assisted with navigat ing dif ferent systems and services, and provided opportunit ies to strengthen their bond while also connect ing with other adopt ive families in similar situations. Cherri says life looks much dif ferent and much br ighter today than it did before DePaul . “When I was distraught and didn’t have peace and direction, DePaul and Morgan, the adoption special ist, stepped in and showed up for us in so many ways,” said Cherr i .

Mark and Cherri were desperately searching for support and stability after welcoming their three grandchi ldren into their home permanently. “A necessity arose within our fami ly, and we needed to take in our grandchildren,” said Cherri. “Our local Department of Social Services placed Brooklynn, Bryson, and Tyler with us in hopes that it would be a short-term stay. When we realized that mom and dad weren’t making progress in the right direct ion, Mark and I opted to go through the kinship care program to legally become foster parents for them. Then, the f ive of us moved through the formal adoption process and became ‘The Fami ly Five,’ a name the kids created. As “The Fami ly Five” began navigat ing their new l ife together, struggles arose. The impact of the chi ldren’s past trauma and the major l ife changes hit Brooklynn the hardest. She was the oldest and had shouldered the enormous respon sibi l ity of taking care of her sibl ings when her parents couldn’t. “She had decided that she didn’t want to l ive here with us anymore, and she was going to do anything and everything that she could to make someone remove her from our home,” said Cherri. Brooklynn spent t ime in resident ial t reat ment faci l i t ies , but the st ruggles seemed to

“When I was distraught and didn’t have peace and direction, DePaul and Morgan, the adoption specialist, stepped in and showed up for us in so many ways.”

— CHERRI

4 | FALL-WINTER 2024