Tim came to us in the midst of a very rough time in his life. He and his partner were going through a rough patch as his partner was struggling with substance abuse, and the household was experiencing chaos. Little Levi was just 16 months old at the time. Tim was trying to hold down a job, deal with the chaos at home, and be the father that he wanted to be for his only child. DCFS told Tim about Safe Families offering temporary support while he navigated the struggles he was facing. Tim accepted help and hosting arrangements were made. Levi went to one of our screened volunteer homes to stay and be loved on while Tim stabilized his life and prepared for Levi to come back to a healthier home.

While Levi was in hosting, Tim worked with Safe Families staff on the goals of setting up childcare for Levi, engaging in mental health and domestic violence survivor services, and preparing to parent Levi on his own. Tim called and talked with Levi daily, as well as the family who was caring for Levi. Through collaboration with several community partners, we were able to wrap around Tim and prepare him for Levi’s return after 2-3 weeks of hosting. Staff continued strengthening and supporting Tim & Levi after Levi went home. Five months later, here’s what Tim had to say about his experience:

“I cannot state how big of a blessing your organization and you were to us. I seemed so hopeless, but with your help and support, we’ve come out better than ever and I look forward to every day with him (my son).”