David's Story ... Imagine a life filled with rage and pain, this was David*'s world. David, born cocaine positive, was left in a shelter by his mother at 8 months. David was placed in the care of relatives where he was abused and neglected. Eventually he was placed in a foster home and then adopted. Unfortunately, this was not a happy ending. As David grew older, his rage intensified and carried over into all areas of his life - family, friends, school, etc. It became too much for the adoptive parents to manage and at age 8, he was turned back over to the system. David was then placed in the Children's Bureau Retreat program which is a residential facility. It was here David received the care he needed and through patience and perseverance, staff members were able to help David begin working through his anger and abandonment issues. His rages decreased and he began to smile more often. David began to express a desire to be part of a family. David is now in a loving foster home and is anticipating his adoption. He has gone from being angry, defeated, and depressed to happy and joyful, spending his days laughing, playing and enjoying time with his loving family. * The child's name has been changed to protect his identity and to maintain confidentiality.

Bobbi's Story... In the spring of 2007, five girls from the Vivian Smith Teen Parenting program graduated from high school. One young woman's story stood out among the others. Bobbi, at sixteen discovered she was pregnant and by winter of 2006, the middle of her junior year of high school, she became the mother of a little boy. She was very motivated to complete school and continue her education, however her circumstances were making that very difficult. She enrolled in the Vivian Smith Teen Parenting program where she received childcare, transportation, tutoring, and financial assistance when her family needed it most. Through Bobbi's persistence and dedication to a positive future, she is now enrolled in college where she is studying to be a nurse. She has found a home and works part-time. While she says college is challenging, she remains dedicated to reaching her goals and credits her success to the support and encouragement of the program.