Success Stories

As the Bennetts sat in pre-service training in 2015, their hearts broke listening to the story of fourteen-year-old Denise. Reggie and Crystal were in the process of becoming adoptive parents and were learning more about children needing committed, permanent homes. They heard Denise had lived in 14 different placements since being removed from her birth mother at the age of five, never experiencing the stability of a home for longer than a year.

Moving from home to home was hard for Denise, as most placements would write her off as having “challenging behavior” when the adjustment got tough. However, when Denise arrived at Helping Hand Home in 2012 things began to turn around. For the first time, her tendency to impulsively react to other children was no longer seen as “challenging behavior,” but rather as a symptom of the root of it all: the abandonment and trauma she experienced from her biological family at a young age.

When Denise finally felt her pain was being heard, she was able to accept the help of caregivers at HHH and begin her healing process. Thanks to weekly therapy sessions, the nurture from staff members, and many other trauma-based services, Denise began to chip away at the underlying trauma from her past. After she completed residential treatment, Denise remained in the care of Helping Hand Home, but this time in a loving foster home where she was able to stay connected to staff members and therapists who continued to help her reach her treatment goals. Her foster home was filled with love and support but was not a permanent placement.

The Foster and Adoption Team approached the Bennetts and began talking with them about a teen girl who was in need of a committed, understanding and nurturing home. As they shared more information about Denise, Reggie instantly made the connection and remembered the story of the girl from the pre-service training. He then realized the search was over; she was the one. “This is where it ends for her,” whispered Reggie Bennett to his wife, Crystal, “She will never have to move again.” In November of 2016, Denise and the Bennetts officially became a forever family. The Bennetts admit that the road to permanency was not easy and they relied on HHH for guidance and support. Together, Reggie, Crystal and Denise worked hard to create a healthy, loving family. Now in the 9th grade, Denise is thriving both academically and athletically. Not only did she go to the Junior Olympics for track and field in 8th grade, but she is now a star player on both the volleyball and basketball teams at her high school. Reggie and Crystal could not be more thankful for the role that Helping Hand Home played in Denise’s life before she finally became a member of their family. Now that this family has found each other, they are excited for what lies ahead.

Six-year-old Mikaela loves dolls, playing, dress-up and anything Hello Kitty. Her brother, three-year-old Thomas, loves being outside, building his train track and learning new words. In many ways, Thomas and Mikaela are two normal, healthy kids, but in others they are still working hard to overcome their background of abuse and neglect. Foster parents Alfred and Elizabeth Matysek had opened their home to children with therapeutic needs in the past, so when Mikaela and Thomas came into their home in 2012, they were ready for any challenges they might face together on the path to healing.

When the children became eligible for adoption this year, Alfred and Elizabeth knew they wanted to become a permanent family with Mikaela and Thomas. The children chose to pick new names for themselves to celebrate the new chapter in their life. On April 21, 2014, the adoptions were finalized, just in time for a Mother’s Day to remember. Congratulations to the Matyseks! 

There are a lot of reasons why people choose to adopt. We had always considered adoption as a way to build our family. When we were ready to adopt – 11 years ago now –we pursued private adoption with an agency that facilitated transracial adoptions. As we were educating ourselves about adoption, we learned that there were so many children of different races that needed good homes, and we embraced the opportunity to be a diverse family. We adopted three children that way, Mabel, 11, Gigi, 8, and Felix, 6. It’s been a match made in heaven – three times over.

Back when we were considering a second child, we looked into the option of fostering-to-adopt a child through the foster care system. We even attended a meeting in Austin with Child Protective Services (CPS). Ultimately, though, we felt we weren’t ready to deal with the uncertainty of it: Imagining that we might have to say goodbye to a child after becoming attached was too scary. We were also intimidated by the CPS process, which seemed so big and cold and impersonal. So, for kids two and three (Gigi and Felix), we went with the same private agency that helped us to adopt Mabel, our oldest.

But each time we adopted privately, we noticed that a wonderful thing was happening. Minority children were not as difficult to place as they once were. So by the time we were considering a fourth child, it had become clear that if we wanted to adopt a child that was at risk of not finding a good home, perhaps we should take another look at Austin’s foster-to-adopt programs. It was at this point that we noticed that Helping Hand Home had a foster-to-adopt program and would help us navigate the CPS system so we didn’t have to do it alone.

Serving as our child placement agency, HHH arranged all of our home studies, trained us to become verified and helped ease us into the predictably unpredictable world of foster care.  Through the trainings they provided, we learned how to be better parents to all our children. We also learned compassion for everyone who is touched by the foster care system: the children, of course, but also the parents and families who are trying hard to keep their children with them. We learned to feel for those who struggle with loss, addiction, poverty, violence and love. We also became comfortable with our boundaries – we all have them – and were able to communicate with HHH what we saw as a good fit for our family in terms of the right age range and level of special needs we could handle as a family.

In sum, working with HHH has made us better and more compassionate people and better parents. Being a foster family has also made our children more compassionate and willing to give of themselves. We are now a family of seven! In other words, we adopted two children through Helping Hand Home, for a total of five children.  It was a long journey and it was never easy. But our family is so resilient and happy as a result of the journey. We don’t take anything for granted. And we find great strength in knowing that our family is at a place where children can rise from desperate circumstances and reach their full potential. It is a wonderful feeling, and we are so glad we chose foster care and HHH to get us to this strong and happy place. 

On November 7, Austin Adoption Day celebrated local children being adopted out of the foster care system. The Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center was transformed into the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz to finalize adoptions for 47 children and their families. One of the proud new parents is Joyce, who adopted two-year-old Miracle through HHH’s Foster and Adoption Services. Miracle has lived with Joyce for over a year, and it was Miracle’s first and only foster placement.

“This town’s gone through a lot in the last week or so. We’ve had a lot of people lose a lot, their homes, their children, their friends, their family,” said Judge Darlene Byrne, one of the judges who presided on Adoption Day. “Today, as we pause, we get to watch the magic of making a family.” Congratulations to Miracle and Joyce on their magical day.

When Holly had just begun the process of becoming a foster mother at HHH’s Foster and Adoption Agency, she came to one of our picnics and watched the foster parents with their children, imagining what it would be like to be one of them. Something drew her attention to one girl in particular, laughing and enjoying herself. Holly found herself hoping that her own foster child might be like that. The girl at the picnic was Maria, and this year she and Holly legally became a forever family.

From the beginning, Holly had been open to older children because of her background as a high school teacher. With thirteen-year-old Maria, her teaching background paid off: during the year Maria has lived with Holly, her grades have gone from barely passing to the honor roll. Once a shy, tentative child, Maria now carries herself with confidence and enjoys spending time with her friends from school. She loves to play the trombone in her school band, and with the help of lessons and dedicated practice, she’s become a capable musician. Maria and Holly also like to travel together, most recently to California where they took in the Rose Bowl and visited Holly’s alma mater. Congratulations to this new family as they celebrate their first Christmas as mother and daughter!

December 5, 2012, was a very special day for Helping Hand Home and Josephine and Scott Lansing, as it marked the adoption of their daughter, eleven-year-old Bethany. This is the fourth adoption for the Lansings, and they are so excited to officially welcome Bethany into their family – forever.

When they began the journey to adopt their first daughter, Cloe, five years ago, Josephine and Scott never imagined they would eventually have a house full of girls. The couple later adopted Josie in 2011 and Annabelle in 2012. For the Lansing family, adoption is about giving every child the opportunity to thrive in a loving home. Scott and Josephine are tremendous advocates for each of their daughters, and they make sure each child knows how special and loved they are.

In February of 2009, Bethany entered into the care of Child Protective Services due to her mother’s inability to care for her and her siblings. Her experiences made it very difficult for her to trust adults, since she learned from an early age that she could only count on herself. She lived in a shelter for several months before moving into a foster home. Still, Bethany struggled to understand why she had been taken away from the only family she had known. In May of 2010, Bethany was placed at Helping Hand Home for Children’s Residential Treatment Center, where her journey to healing finally began. With the patience, support, and guidance of the HHH staff, Bethany developed healthy, appropriate ways to express her emotions. She was taught to respect herself, and she learned that it was okay to trust others.

When Bethany was introduced to the Lansing family in June of 2012, the meeting did not go as smoothly as everyone hoped. Bethany’s insecurities resurfaced due to the trauma she experienced at such a young age, and she refused to talk or even look at the Lansings at their first meeting. The Lansing family was patient with Bethany and explained they wanted to get to know her better and hoped she would one day be part of their family. The other girls shared their stories of coming from the foster care system, and they told her how scared they had been about meeting a new family too. Soon Bethany’s anxiety eased, and she agreed to go see her new home. Bethany has experienced a lot of exciting things since becoming a Lansing. From many hours spent at the neighborhood pool to her first trip to the beach, Bethany now has the life every child deserves. The Lansings recently celebrated their first official family Christmas with a holiday cruise, another first for Bethany. She enjoyed her 11th birthday at sea!

When Bethany returns to HHH to visit, the first thing everyone comments on is her self confidence. The little girl who was once afraid to make eye contact is now a secure, funny young lady who will talk your ear off. The entire Lansing family has been a joy to work with over the past few years, and Helping Hand Home is so grateful that they’ve allowed us into their lives. It has been amazing to watch their four children blossom into the confident young ladies they are today.