2003 to Present

With a contrite heart, this is for Mr. Butterfly........

*Names of characters and circumstances have been changed in order to protect the individuals concerned*

Eli and Luke are brothers, one year apart, who have been in the foster care system since they were toddlers. Eli is 7, Luke is 6.

Their birth mother was a crack addict, hauling Eli and Luke from one crack house to another. Using and drinking and using again. In the midst of birth mother's addiction, Eli and Luke would usually bear the brunt of her frustrations and anger. More often than not, both boys were subjected to cigarette burn marks on their arms or buttocks. On good days, it was a smack on the head or a kick in the gut.

Fortunately the department of child welfare got wind of what was transpiring in the home (if one could call the many crack houses they inhabited "home"), an investigation was ensued, allegations were founded, and the boys were placed into the safety of a foster home, where they could get their emotional and physical needs met. The courts decided to terminate Eli and Luke's birth mother's rights a few years later and they immediately became available for adoption. Eli and Luke's foster parents decided to adopt the two boys.

Enter the adoption social worker (ASW).

The adoption social worker started the process of adoption with Eli and Luke's foster parents. But right from the very beginning, ASW, had this niggling feeling in the back of her head, this gut feeling that all was not right. ASW could read it in the boys' body language and their foster parents' "perfect" responses throughout her assessment process with the family. Was it the boys' disheveled appearance or their look of fear everytime ASW entered the home? This was noted by the ASW, who in turn alerted the State of the red flags that were coming up. Eli and Luke's teachers, too, noticed the state the two boys were in, which resulted in another call to the department of child welfare to alert the boys' State social worker of the condition Eli and Luke were in. Meetings were held and another investigation proceeded. The results? It was discovered that Eli and Luke were living in a similar harrowing existence, as when they lived with their birth mother: they were neglected and lacked proper nutrition; left alone with foster mother's incontinent elderly father for hours at a time with the expectation that they were to change elderly father's diapers every time he took a shit; they would walk to and from school in sub-zero weather without gloves or socks on; foster parents fed them lies about their birth family, telling them that they were all dead; and finally, it was discovered that Eli and Luke were being beaten by a brush on their naked flesh in the bathtub when foster parents suspected that they were "talking" to social workers visiting the home or to their teachers, about their "family business". With the adoption process disrupted, Eli and Luke were immediately removed from this foster home and moved into another foster home.

The boys were to never be the same again.

Eli had a breakdown in foster home #2 and eventually had to be hospitalized due to aggressive and self-harming behaviors he was displaying, along with psychotic episodes which started to manifest through these various behaviors. Luke on the other hand was more resilient and was able function "normally".

While all this was transpiring, ASW was working with a loving couple who desperately wanted to adopt children. In ASW's close work with Eli and Luke, there formed an attachment to the boys. ASW wanted for them a safe, loving home where they could be children; instead of the parentified mini-adults they had become.

A thought started to form in ASW's head. Loving Couple......Luke.......Eli........MATCH.

ASW launched visits between Luke and Loving Couple. However, Eli continued to struggle with his behaviors and mental health issues in the hospital. Loving couple instantly fell in love with Luke and an attachment started to form between them. After a summer of day and weekend visits, the big day came for the Loving Couple - they were approved as pre-adoptive parents and Luke moved into their home.

While Eli, continuing to struggle with his behaviors and mental health issues, was moved into a group home.

Luke is an entirely different boy now. He is confident and feels secure....knows what it means to love and be loved.

Eli on the other hand continues to struggle with his anger, his mental health issues, with trust.

Loving Couple hope to finalize Luke's adoption by this summer and ASW is pleased with such a positive result for Luke. A family has been made.

But Eli on the other hand continues struggle with his anger, his losses, and his mental health issues in the group home.

Loving Couple are interested in possibly adopting Eli so the brothers could be together. However, ASW is wary, for both Loving Couple and Eli's sake.

Luke has permanency.

Eli continues to struggle with his anger, with his losses, and with his delusions in the group home.

ASW continues to worry.........