Success Stories

The Children's Law Center tells the stories of the children we represent to illustrate the battles that we must go through to make a difference for a child growing up in Colorado's child protection system. Often the public believes once a child is removed from an unsafe home everything will get better. In fact, that is just when the tough work begins. The names and certain identifying facts have been changed to protect our clients confidentiality, but the struggles remain true.

Madeline's Story

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When Madeline was eight years old, the Department of Human Services removed her from her home due to neglect and the Children’s Law Center was assigned to her case.  “Madeline’s mother was being controlled by alcohol and because of it, the home they lived in was very dirty and unsafe for a child,” said Kristin Wessinger, Children’s Law Center guardian ad litem assigned to protect Madeline.

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Monica's Story

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Her battles with methamphetamines sadly led Monica’s mother to jail. Lauren Dingboom, Children’s Law Center attorney appointed to protect Monica was very concerned about Monica's education. “Monica’s mother was frequently evicted, causing Monica to jump from school to school,” stated Lauren.

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Janet's Story

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A year’s worth of truancy brought Janet to the attention of the Children’s Law Center. 

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Andrew's Story

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 In 1997, the year Andrew was born, he was abandoned by both his parents. Andrew’s sister was placed with their aunt, who was only able to care for one child, leaving Andrew to be cared for by his grandparents. Andrew thrived with his grandparents, but unfortunately both passed away in early 2012, leaving Andrew to be raised by foster parents. “It was devastating when his grandparents passed,” said Chris Henderson, Children’s Law Center attorney assigned to protect Andrew. “He is a good kid who was experiencing many difficult things in his life.”

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Caden's Story

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Due to an abusive home environment, Caden was removed from his home and appointed a Children's Law Center attorney and clinical consultant. Stephany Slade, lead clinical consultant, saw great potential in Caden and knew he needed support to become his best self. 

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Preston's Story

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Preston was born addicted to methamphetamines, drugs his mother used while pregnant. He was removed from his mother’s care the day he was born and placed with Rhonda, his great-aunt who already had custody of his four-year-old sister.

 

 

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Misha's Story

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In November of 2009, Misha’s grandmother learned about the Children’s Law Center through a support group for grandparents raising their grandchildren. Misha and her two half-brothers were removed from their mother’s care after being abused and neglected by their drug-addicted mother. Their grandmother agreed to raise them, the oldest being six-year-old Misha. For more than a year, the entire family thrived. . .

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Angela's Story

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Angela grew up afraid, always in fear of her father’s horrific emotional and physical abuse. Her mother passed away years ago leaving Angela alone and surrounded by violence. The abuse became known to the Denver Department of Human Services and Angela was removed from her father's care. Kelli Narans, Children’s Law Center guardian ad litem, was appointed to advocate for her and found an appropriate out-of-home placement that could meet Angela's unique emotional needs.

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Michael's Story

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Michael was molested by his older brother when he was a young boy. The situation destroyed his family. His parents weren’t abusive and they didn’t abuse drugs, they just didn’t know how to deal with such a horrifying act. Sadly, Michael’s trauma was treated as the “family secret” that no one ever talked about.

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Garrett's story

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When he was two years old, Garrett’s abusive father took him away from his mother and moved to Texas, where he soon ended up in the foster care system. . . . We want to thank the Quality Inn Central Denver for donating 7 nights lodging, and the county department of social services for providing travel assistance to Colorado for Garrett’s mother and half sister  during a week-long holiday visit in December.

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Amanda and Carle's Story

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Amanda and Carle are two and four years old. They were unsuccessfully reunified with their abusive and neglectful mother multiple times, only to be returned to their foster mother additionally traumatized. They would hoard food because their mother would not feed them. They were afraid to cry because their mother would scream at them. Eventually, their mom’s parental rights were terminated, but only after Amanda and Carle had languished in foster care for two years. That is when Amy, their Children’s Law Center attorney, was appointed to represent them.

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Ann's Story

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Three years ago, the Children’s Law Center reached out to our supporters on behalf “Ann.” Today, she is a Daniels Fund Scholar, headed to Colorado State University! Ann was 15 and had been in foster care for seven months. Without divulging too much information, she has had a tough time. 

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Matt's Story

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Matt was eleven years old. He and his two older sisters were placed in foster care because they were being physically abused at home. Matt’s case was open for nearly three years, and all three children were living together in a potential adoptive home when everything fell apart. The adoptive mother changed her mind. The three kids were, once again, placed back into foster care.

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Karen's Story

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Karen is an outgoing, funny teenager. She started at a new high school last month and, like many girls her age, decided to go out for the cheerleading squad. However, unlike many other girls, Karen lives in a foster home. She soon learned that the school fee for cheerleading uniforms and other related expenses was more than $600. She did not have the money, and it looked to her as if she would not be able to join her friends on the squad. Her foster parents, her case worker, and her school’s cheerleading coach all wanted to help her, but no one knew where to turn.

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David's Story

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David suffered unimaginable abuse at the hands of his father. For many years, he and his siblings were terrorized. They were beaten, tied up and locked in a room for days on end. They lived in absolute fear. Before help arrived, one of David’s siblings was killed.

Eventually this deadly abuse came to light. David and his remaining siblings were removed from the home. Their father was arrested and is now in jail, likely for the rest of his life.

Jeff, a Children's Law Center attorney, was appointed to represent David. One day, David confided to Jeff about something that really bothered him. He had been named after his father.

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Jenny, Joseph, Christopher and Rita's Story

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Jenny, Joseph, Christopher and Rita were born into a home filled with violence and neglect. At only eight years old, Jenny was often left at home to care for her three younger siblings—the baby, Rita, was only a year old. When there was no food in the house, Jenny would knock at neighbors’ doors asking for help. Finally someone reported the situation. The boys were placed in one foster home, and the girls went to another.

The Children’s Law Center was appointed to represent all four children. Although the court put a plan in place to help their mother regain custody, she didn’t follow through and eventually stopped showing up at meetings. On the day that her parental rights were terminated, she did not show up for the hearing.

 

 

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Ricky, Juan and Elena

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For Ricky, 9, Juan, 8, and Elena, 5, being adopted by their maternal aunt was the happy ending to a traumatic experience.

For years, these three children saw their father abuse their mother. They would hide behind the couch until the fights were over. Once their father held a knife to the then 2-year-old Elena’s throat. Years later, Ricky would recall the violence with remarks like “I remember when dad made mom’s face bleed.”

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Tate's Story

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Tate was only seven years old when his teacher noticed distinct bruises covering his arms. After being examined by medical professionals Tate had too many bruises to count. Tate soon confessed that his mother had beaten him with a shoe and he was immediately removed from his home. Tate also endured sexual abuse by both his mother and her boyfriend. Tate’s father, who had not seen him in several years, stepped forward to care for his son.

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Paul, Sal and Mario's Story

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The mother of Paul, Sal and Mario tried to kill herself once again, this time with a cocaine overdose. The three young boys were removed from her care, and Amy Hendrickson, a Children’s Law Center attorney, was appointed to protect them.

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Peter's Story

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Peter was found just one day old at a building in Denver. Peter, who was not old enough to call for help or defend himself, was left in a kitchen sink, naked with a shoe string tied around his umbilical cord.

“We have no evidence as to who the mother is of Peter, where she may be or why she did this, all we know is that we are happy that Peter was found,” said Kelli Narans, a Children’s Law Center attorney who was appointed to protect Peter.

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Coming Full Circle

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At the Children’s Law Center, one of our major objectives is to see our young clients in safe, stable and loving families as soon as possible.

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Sam's Story

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Sam has been through more in his short life than most of us will endure in a lifetime. At the tender age of eight he was removed from his neglectful birth mother and placed in a treatment facility. . . .

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Sally's Story

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When Sally was two years-old her mother abandoned her to a neighbor. Jane took the girl in and never alerted Social Services. Nine years later, Sally’s older sister visited Jane and asked if she could take in Sally and care for her. Jane agreed and the little girl completely lost touch with the only mother figure she ever really knew. Six months later, Sally was removed from her sister’s home and placed in foster care.

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Ally's Story

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In November, police raided a motel room and discovered four adults using crack cocaine and a five-month-old girl named Ally sleeping in a car seat with several baggies under the car seat. She was immediately placed in foster care . . .

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Anna, Beth, & Caitlyn's Story

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Kerri took her clients Anna-10, Beth-7, and Caitlyn-6 to a Rockies game on a very crisp Colorado day early in the Rockies season. The three little girls were so excited. It had been a very chaotic few months. They recently moved to their grandma’s house because their mom was an abusive alcoholic. . . .

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Maria

Maria’s mother became addicted to heroin soon after Maria was born. When she was just two years old, shots were fired in their apartment during a drug dispute and the police raided their home. They placed Maria into foster care . . .

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Leanne

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Leanne was removed from her home at ten months old by the police during a domestic violence dispute involving her biological mother. She was initially placed with relatives who could only provide temporary care for the little girl. For months Leanne’s Children’s Law Center attorney, Betsy, explored all of Leanne’s family connections, but mental health issues and drug use plagued the entire family. She needed a permanent adoptive home. After multiple visits with Leanne, Betsy became concerned that Leanne also suffered developmental delays. At 18 months old, Leanne wasn’t speaking and barely interacted with others. Like many foster children, Leanne had special needs that would make it all the more difficult to find an adoptive home.

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Maggie, Jack and Mathew

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Maggie, Jack, and Mathew tragically watched their older brother die in a gang-related shooting in their neighborhood. This tragedy alerted the authorities to a drug-infested, neglectful home. The three young children needed regular intensive therapy to heal. Now the children have two loving parents who give each one of the children the individual special attention they need. The transformation in each child is astonishing.

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