Children's Receiving Home - Changing Lives

April's Story

Born into a family of drug abuse, alcoholism, physical and sexual abuse, and neglect, it is safe to say one of the biggest turning points in my life was being taken away from my biological family at the age of 5. I was placed in the Children’s Receiving Home and spent two weeks there until being placed back with my mother. That didn’t last long; within 6 months I was taken away again and placed back in the Children’s Receiving Home at the age of 6. Only this time would be different, I would never return to my biological parents. The CRH began doing assessments on other family members and determined it was not in my best interest to be placed with family, rather to be put into a foster home. The CRH began doing assessments on me and determined that I didn’t know my ABC’s, know how to spell my name or possess any math skills. After another two weeks there, a miracle was about to happen. They found a foster parent whose day job was teaching 5th grade. I was immediately placed with her and was put into the first grade. With no prior education, my foster mother and I sat diligently every night learning the skills necessary to succeed in school. By the 3rd grade I was a straight-A student.

My parents never did get the act together. In the 4th grade I was finally given a choice, did I want to continue to work toward reunification with my mother (my father was ruled out due to the sexual abuse) or did I want to remain where I was living until turning 18. Within a week of my decision to remain in a stable loving environment, my biological mother committed suicide. Shortly after, my father blamed me for her death, and then pulled a disappearing act. We waited for one year for it to be considered abandonment and then I was placed up for adoption. My foster mother and I eagerly anticipated the day that I would officially be her daughter. My father showed up just one more time, to stop the adoption, and told the judge he didn’t want to give up his parental rights. He remained in my life for one year and then pulled another disappearing act, never to return.

I was finally adopted by my foster mother. She is my guardian angel and the only reason I am who I am today. She gave me the strength, love and encouragement that I needed to succeed in life. I graduated high school, attended college and today I am the proud owner of my own business. I am a mother of a beautiful daughter and never want her to experience the pain that I have gone through. Had it not been for a facility such as the Children’s Receiving Home taking in displaced children until they can find placement for them, I don’t know where I would have ended up. I cannot express the gratitude I have for them taking the time to do the assessments and finding the best possible solution for me.

April Scott

To My Mom, My Guardian...

I love my mom. I love my guardian. I love that person that makes me smile, that person who stands by me to keep me safe, to keep me warm and out of harm. You would never let me drop until now, until that day when I said I'm done with all the pain that you didn't believe was happening at all. You let me drop that day when you moved from beside me and stood beside him to keep him safe and to keep him warm and out of any harm; when all along he is causing me the harm. Now who will protect me from the harm that he puts on me? I'm still falling and the only way I can be saved is the day when you say, "Okay, I believe what's been going on," and move from him and next to me. I love you mom, I love that you are my guardian. I love it when you make me smile, keep me safe, keep me warm and out of harm. So please come back and believe what I say and everything will be okay.

~ Justice, age 16