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When Barbie Dwyer and her husband, Rick, received a call from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) asking if they were open to a foster placement with Katie*, a five-year-old girl described as “adorable” and “a sweetheart,” they immediately said yes. After meeting Katie, Barbie and Rick agreed wholeheartedly with the DCF staffer’s description; however, they also quickly realized she was coping with trauma no child should have to handle. Katie and her older brother had initially lived with their paternal grandmother while their biological mother, Jessica*, dealt with substance use disorder, but once it became clear his home was not suitable for Katie, she entered into DCF care.
“We had no idea what trauma behaviors really looked like within our home and family until Katie lived with us,” Barbie recalls. Even after completing Massachusetts Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP), a 30-hour education program required of all Massachusetts foster caregivers, she and Rick knew they needed additional support in order to be the best foster parents they could be. They found that support in MSPCC’s Encompass program and their Encompass Foster Care Specialist, Deirdre Littlefield.
Throughout Katie’s placement, Deirdre was vital in ensuring the Dwyers had the tools they needed to develop a relationship with Katie while helping her cope with past trauma. Barbie says, “Deirdre helped educate us in all things trauma, connected us to Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)® training, helped secure a neuropsychological evaluation, and talked us down on some of Katie’s most challenging days.” Deirdre also assisted the family in navigating their relationship with Katie’s biological mother and biological grandmother and provided mentorship as someone with lived experience as a foster caregiver.
While it’s not always possible, in many cases, the ultimate goal during a child’s foster placement is reunification with their family of origin. To that end, Barbie maintained a relationship with Jessica, and Jessica participated in all Foster Care Reviews (mandatory regular legal reviews to ensure safety, permanency, and well-being of children in out-of-home placements).
A turning point came during Katie’s second Foster Care Review, when a member of the review panel raised the possibility of changing her goal from reunification to adoption. Barbie says, “After that meeting, Jessica fully committed to her own sobriety and to fighting to get her children back and doing everything she could to help them.“ Jessica ultimately earned a certificate in carpentry, joined a union, and regained custody of both Katie and her brother.
In a message to Deirdre after Katie’s placement ended, Barbie wrote, “The support, education and humor you gave us helped us through so many rough days and developed into a friendship I treasure.” As she reflected on the experience, she felt compelled to provide to other foster caregivers the type of support she herself had received, and she now works at MSPCC as an Encompass Foster Care Specialist.
While Katie is now happily living with her biological Mom, Jessica, “Mama Barbie” has continued to play an important role for the entire family. She has attended Katie’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Department of Mental Health (DMH) meetings and regularly checks in with Jessica to discuss Katie’s progress and identify thoughts and concerns to bring to her support team. Her relationship with Katie continues to thrive as well: “Katie loves to come over and play or meet at the playground. We try to give her a safe place to play and be herself around people who know her and love every piece of her.”
*name changed for privacy reasons
ENCOMPASS: Community and Collaboration for Foster Families leverages peer-to-peer mentoring and a peer support program to provide support, education, and stabilization for foster, kinship, and pre-adoptive caregivers across Massachusetts. Click here to learn more.
