After nearly reaching her breaking point, Eva* surrendered custody of her son to the Ministry; she was doing the best she could with what she had but it wasn’t enough to care for her young child.

“I had lost my mind,” she explained. “I couldn’t function, I couldn’t cope, and I didn’t have the skills I needed to deal with his behaviours. I didn’t want him to feel like I was abandoning him, but I needed him to understand that things couldn’t continue the way they were.”

Her son, Jackson*, was placed in a group home living arrangement for a brief period before he and Eva were transferred to the Ranch Ehrlo Treatment Foster Care (TFC) Program.

“Reunification was always the goal,” said Eva. “We just needed time apart to learn and grow.”

Jackson went on to live with Kayely and Gerald Rich, a Ranch Ehrlo foster family. He came into their home nearly nine months ago as an overly anxious, hyperactive child who had extreme behavioural problems.

“He’s really changed while he’s been in care,” said Kayely . “Now we’re seeing more mature interactions, we’re seeing him starting to think of others and understanding other’s points of view. He’s calmer and he has an understanding of how his medications are facilitating his wellbeing, and overall, he just has better days.”

With referrals and resources provided by the Ranch TFC Program, Jackson was evaluated and diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). With a definitive diagnosis, Eva and Jackson were on the right path to understanding themselves, and each other.

“I learned how to communicate with Jackson, how to support him, how to understand him, and how to find resources in our community for him,” said Eva. “The Ranch and the foster family taught Jackson how to understand himself and his disorder.”

“I had to pass him on to someone who could take over my reigns temporarily to do the things I didn’t know how to do and the things that I couldn’t do,” she continued.

Kayley added, “Others who knew Jackson before he came into our care have commented on how much he’s grown and I think that really has to do with the kinds of services and supports that have been put in place.”

Not only are supports in place for children and their families, but special services are also available to Ranch Ehrlo foster parents, including a designated family available any time for respite services.

Lynn McCann joined the TFC program nearly three years ago as a foster parent but now provides respite services to the families.

“I was really interested in making a difference,” she said. “I was a foster parent but now I do respite and I love it; I’ve become like a grandma now. I get to see the kids for a few days, we do fun things together, and then I send them home.”

“Foster families have to have that (respite) time and I don’t think they realize that until they have it,” said Lynn. “Most foster parents work outside of the home but this is a full-time, 24/7 job for Ranch foster families.”

Kayely and her husband, Gerald, who have had Jackson in their care for nearly nine months are slowly preparing to reunite him with his mom.

Eva said while the process has been long, it’s been made easier by the TFC program staff.

Eva and Jackson are scheduled to reunite on April 30, 2015. The TFC staff, the birth family, and foster family are working together to find supports for Jackson in his home community so that progress keeps moving forward.

“The bottom line is we’ve come a long way,” said Eva. “I’m really, really proud of Jackson and I’m proud of myself.”

 *names changed