Kids Helped Twice!
The first Star-Ledger article on Mary Reed told how she had cared for 13 foster children, many of them siblings, and all under the age of 12, in just one year. It recounted the rapport she developed with her displaced, often abused charges, and how she aimed to improve the lives of as many scarred children as she could. Her work was supported by Children’s Aid and Family Services, a GNHF partner agency. (The full story was available by clicking here at the time this piece was posted.)

But it didn’t stop there. A generous donor decided to make Christmas a little more special for Mary’s kids, and with the aid of the mayor of Mary’s town and Ted Zangari, the Fund’s Honorary Chair, set up a celebration they won’t soon forget. He even arranged for an additional donation to the Fund. Click here for that story when this was written.

Children's Aid a Blessing for Young Girl
Tanya was removed from her parent’s care as a young child. Now eight years old, she came to Children’s Aid and Family Services, which receives support from the Greater Newark Holiday Fund. Having bounced around in multiple foster homes she was behind in her education.

Tanya’s difficulties in reading, writing and spelling took a toll on her confidence and gave her anxiety toward school.

For the past year, Children’s Aid and Family Services has provided her a tutor to work with consistently. The tutor has witnessed marked improvements in Tanya’s vocabulary and reading levels. She has also become a fan of leisurely reading, often choosing the hobby over watching television.

Tanya has regained her confidence in school, often sharing her knowledge with her classmates and has grown to love books on animals. Her grades have also improved and she now looks forward to going to school and learning.

Fund Helps Boy Heal From Emotional Wounds
Jamal’s drug- and alcohol-addicted parents abandoned him on a New Jersey street corner when he was 2 years old. He was placed with a foster family where he again fell victim to neglect, this time developing a severe case of ringworm that caused permanent damage to his scalp. At just 8 years old, Jamal now has bald spots where hair will not grow back.

Though Jamal was moved to a new foster home where he received proper care, it did not erase the emotional damage of prior years. He began to suffer from serious speech delays and struggled to express himself. Jamal’s behavior was spiraling downward and he had to be removed from two preschools.

After an outburst that landed him in the hospital, Jamal went to live at the YCS Davis House where he received care and therapy and attended a YCS school. Jamal’s behavior and speech improved dramatically with the help of the YCS staff.

Mentoring Brightens Life for Depressed Teen
Heather, 12, lives with her mother in Hudson County. She came to America from Ecuador when she was 7, but has not fully adjusted to her new country. Heather’s mother called Catholic Charities in Jersey City because she noticed her daughter seemed depressed and had written suicidal notes.

Through therapy provided by the agency, Heather learned constructive coping skills and the family learned better ways to communicate with each other. Heather received a mentor who provided help with homework and in the development of her social skills. The social worker also helped Heather join extracurricular activities such as the newspaper club, which helped improve her writing and allowed her to make friends.

By the end of her time with Catholic Charities, Heather moved to a long-term mentoring program to further develop her social skills. She was also getting along better with her mother, and the signs of depression had faded.

Holiday Fund Helps Unsure Boy Love Learning
Gregory was removed from his parents’ home at age 7 and was placed in foster care. By the age of 10, he had been shuffled around to just as many foster homes as schools.

This instability left him feeling angry, unwanted and unable to trust others.

Gregory’s anger and anxiety affected his ability to focus in school. He struggled with reading and writing. Once Gregory came into the care of Children’s Aid and Family Services, he began working with a tutor twice a week.

He improved dramatically. Gregory did his homework regularly, began to participate in school and he gained confidence.

By year’s end, he made honor roll.

Tutoring from Children’s Aid helped Gregory discover a love of learning. His confidence is steadily increasing as he takes on new academic challenges in school.
 
Holiday Fund Supports Aid for Babies in Need
Sonia was born in a prison hospital ward. She was removed from her mother at just 2 days old and sent to live with her grandparents who have raised her ever since. Sonia’s grandparents are currently in poor health and only her grandmother speaks English.

A YCS case worker met the family and helped Sonia enroll in an early-childhood education program. YCS helped to improve the communication between Sonia’s grandparents and her school. The agency is working with the family to identify other community programs to aid them with medical services, utilities and food.

Foster Parenting Leads to Adoption
Linda and Neil always wanted to be foster parents but didn’t have the time when their children were younger. Now that their three children are adults, they decided to pursue it.

They contacted Children’s Aid and Family Services after seeing an ad seeking foster parents.

The couple underwent training and became licensed foster parents in the agency’s program for infants and toddlers with medical needs. Maria was placed with them at 2 months old. Born to a mother who abused drugs, the baby’s medical problems included asthma, low muscle tone and developmental delays.

Linda took Maria to a series of medical specialists and she gradually began to make progress.

Though adoption was not in Linda and Neil’s life plan, when Maria turned 3 years old, the couple decided, with their biological children, to make her a permanent member of their family. Maria has thrived with the love and proper care she has received from Linda and Neil.

Determined Boy Gets Tools to Succeed
John’s grandmother is raising seven of her grandchildren, years after raising five kids of her own. John, 15, doesn’t feel this arrangement is fair to his grandmother, who is recovering from open-heart surgery and has a limited income. Both of his parents are battling substance abuse, and his sister is incarcerated. As soon as he turns 16, he hopes to get a job to help out his grandmother. His long-term goals include going to college and becoming a teacher or a journalist. This holiday, his family will spend Christmas, also his grandmother’s birthday, catering to his grandmother. The Family Service Bureau of Newark, one of the charities that benefit from the Greater Newark Holiday Fund, helps John learn coping skills so he can achieve the successful future he dreams of.

Overburdened Kid Gets Attention
Skyler was a little boy with big responsibilities. The oldest child of a single mother, he often cared for his younger brothers and sisters. His free time was spent, not playing with other kids, but cleaning his house. But the strain wore on Skyler. Soon, his anger began spinning out of control. Through the Nutley Family Service Bureau, Skyler is getting a handle on his anger with weekly counseling. Other resources have helped him set goals for himself and find ways to cope with his responsibilities. These services, as well as extra help for Skyler's family during this holiday season, are made possible by the Greater Newark Holiday Fund.