After an anonymous phone call was made to Child Protective Services, “Jack” was discovered living in the house of an older man claiming to be a relative. The truth was that Jack was a victim of exploitive child labor and other abuse, and he wasn’t the first teen who had been abused by the same individual.
Jack was taken into the custody of Child Protective Services and was brought to our teen shelter while a home was found for him with a foster family.
During his time at the shelter, Jack found safety and time to focus on his education. Every day, staff sat down with Jack to read with him and help him open up. Jack came to the shelter withdrawn and shy but as he grew to trust the staff, he gradually came out of his shell. He participated in counseling and contributed to group discussions led by staff.
After three weeks, Jack was able to re-enroll at school and move in with his new foster family. Second Story staff check in with Jack periodically to ask how he is doing and to remind him that our door is always open.
