Ellis and Liam are brothers who were removed from a home with a history of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. They struggled with coping skills and were afraid of relationships, as nobody had ever claimed them as their own. The boys had been moved eight times before they were referred to Stanford Sierra Youth & Families (SSYF) who placed them together, with a resource (foster) family.

From the very beginning, the resource parents welcomed Ellis and Liam into their family as their own. They introduced the boys to genuine, healthy affection and encouragement. They also learned how to talk about their fears, and were surrounded with love, safety, and unconditional commitment, something they had never experienced before.

The boys were also enrolled in mental health services through SSYF. Their therapist helped them learn how to talk about their past trauma without shame, begin to trust, and how to solve problems together. Their resource parents honored their need to work through their past trauma and helped them understand that they were safe and loved in their new home. Ellis and Liam were shortly thereafter adopted by their resource parents and finally found the loving family they had always wanted.

*Names and other identifying details have been changed to protect the identity of the youth.