KRISTEN MCANDREW OF WAYNE COUNTY!
Kristen received high praise from Wayne County Children and Youth Services during a monthly case meeting for November. Kristen received a STOPP case, where a mom of a teenage girl had decided to give up on her daughter due to continued verbal and physical altercations. The mother went to WCCYS with the intention to leave her daughter and forfeit parental rights. WCCYS talked to the mother about JWYC, and subsequently submitted a STOPP referral. The child’s mother did not expect much to change, due to the long history of the child running away from the home. However, the mother agreed to give us a try, since WCCYS would not take the child into their custody.
Kristen immediately started working with the mother and daughter and in only 60 days, this partnership produced successful results. Mother and daughter were spending more time together by communicating, eating dinner together, and enjoying the time they were spending together. The daughter started asking her mother for ‘permission’ to spend time with her boyfriend, rather than running away to see him. Kristen asked them to write letters to each other about their feelings for each other and what they mean to each other. The very moving exercise had them in tears as they read the letters to each other.
During case reviews, Kristen was recognized by the WCCYS Administrators that she had ‘worked a miracle’ within 60 days with this family. WCCYS will be closing the case as successful.
Thank you WCCYS for recognizing Kristen’s ability to engage this family for a successful outcome. Thank you, Kristen, for your family engagement skills producing a successful outcome by diverting this family away from further system involvement. Your contributions to the JWYC Mission are appreciated.