Impact Story: Baby William

Thanks to the tireless efforts of AFS staff and resource parents, Baby William is now thriving with his grandmother.

 

Last November, Baby William was born with Neonatal abstinence syndrome, and AFS placed “William” with a temporary foster home specially trained to care for infants who were diagnosed as a Failure to Thrive infant – William was not gaining weight and had missed developmental milestones including essential motor skills.

AFS identified that William’s grandmother, “Madeline,” would be eligible for a kinship placement, a program that allows biological family members to be certified as a resource parent and receive benefits to help care for a relative’s child. While AFS guided Madeline through the certification process, the original AFS resource family continued to care for William, including taking him to his regular medical and physical therapy appointments.

This past week, the AFS placement team worked around the clock to ensure Madeline’s home would pass requirements to care for an infant with medical needs. Elizabeth, an AFS caseworker, donned protective gear and went to Madeline’s house to ensure it was baby-proofed and to deliver a fire extinguisher, crib, car seat and stroller that AFS purchased for the new grandmother. She helped assemble the crib, made sure there was enough baby essentials (onesies, diapers and formula) and made sure that Madeline was emotionally prepared to welcome William into her heart and home.

Because of the tireless efforts of AFS staff, resource parents and medical professionals that cared for William, he is now in a loving, stable home where he will be able to thrive with Grandma Madeline.

Thank you AFS heroes!

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Note: The identifying details of this story have been changed to protect client confidentiality.