Matt's Story

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.

Matt was just beginning high school. In middle school, he had been a straight-A student in advance placement classes. As a freshman in high school, he was flunking out - on the verge of expulsion. After getting into several fights, he was suspended from school. Matt’s guardian ad litem, a Children's Law Center attorney, was contacted by the school.

That's when a Children’s Law Center education advocate got involved. After reviewing Matt’s complete educational history, the education advocate went to meet with school administrators on Matt’s behalf. Clearly, they needed to know that what was going on at “home” was affecting his performance at school. And clearly Matt needed an advocate.

After learning more about Matt’s personal history, the threat of expulsion was removed. The school agreed that the best thing for Matt would be to transfer to a school dedicated to helping students get back on track for graduation. The program has helped Matt stabilize. He is getting straight-A’s once again and is welcome back at his neighborhood high school whenever he is ready. While Matt’s oldest sister is now 18 and wants to emancipate from the system, Children’s Law Center has found a healthy, permanent home for Matt and his other sister.

We refuse to let any of the children we represent fall through the cracks.