Jackie’s Story: Finding Hope and Home Through Family Care
When Jackie thinks back to the moment her daughter Michaela was first taken into foster care, she still remembers the overwhelming heartbreak.
“Devastating,” Jackie said. “I was very devastated. I thought that I would never get her back.”
Jackie’s pain ran deeper than most could understand. She grew up in foster care herself, entering the system at just eight years old and staying until right before she turned 19. Her experience was not a positive one.
The case that led to Michaela’s removal opened almost immediately after her birth. “Originally the case was opened the day she was born…because my oldest daughter, who's still in foster care, was never adopted,” Jackie explained. Because Jackie already had one child in care, the state automatically opened a new case when Michaela was born. A few months later, Jackie was living with some friends when allegations of drug use arose. “And they had us do drug tests. And because I lived with them, they had to be tested also…” Jackie’s roommates tested positive for drug use and because of that, her daughter was removed from the home.
Jackie remembers pleading with her social worker for another option. “I told her, you know, what had happened, and I pleaded with her to, you know, help me, put me in a shelter, do something so that I would not lose the baby.” But just hours later, police and DHR showed up at her door.
At first, Michaela went into emergency placement, but soon she was placed with Corey*, a foster mom who would become an important part of Jackie’s story. Jackie was able to begin visitations at ABCH, and it was during that time she learned about the Family Care program.
Family Care provides safe housing and support for mothers and children, helping them avoid foster care and work toward stability. Moms live in fully furnished homes with their children, surrounded by caring staff and a supportive community. The goal is to keep families together and give moms the tools they need to succeed—stable housing, guidance for employment, financial savings, and life skills—so that children can remain safely with their family rather than entering state custody.
Jackie was nervous about joining Family Care, “I first got there, my anxiety was super high. It's new, it's away from everybody and everything I know…I doubted how successful the program would be for me.” Even though she was skeptical, she also knew it was her best chance to reunite with Michaela. “It was to show the judge that I had a place to live that was safe and that… it would help me build up to being able to get Michaela back permanently.”
Her time in Family Care wasn’t easy. Anxiety, court battles, and fears of losing her daughter permanently weighed heavily on her. During one of her first unsupervised visits before she got custody back, Jackie suffered an anxiety attack. “I tried to keep it together and then ultimately I ended up just like having a full anxiety attack while Michaela was in the car. I did pull over…so Corey ended up coming and picking up Michaela.”
The episode nearly cost Jackie her visitation rights, but she fought hard to prove her commitment in court. “I had to put a thousand percent into everything I did… I brought all my people together…I also had to be actively in therapy. My therapist was there… actually the judge could not believe how many people I had”
Despite the struggles, Jackie says Family Care became the turning point in her journey. “It was an awesome experience and I will always be grateful and thankful for everybody that is a part of ABCH and Family Care and for helping me through the process and the struggles.”
Through her year in the program, Jackie learned stability—steady employment, paying bills, saving money, and building a safe home environment. Over time, she was granted unsupervised visits, then weekends, and finally full custody of Michaela.
The transition wasn’t without difficulty. Michaela had developed a bond with her foster mom. “The bond that Corey created with Michaela was extremely strong… she considered Corey her mom.” Jackie was thankful for the way Corey cared for her daughter. “She kept Michaela safe, loved, and still to this day… I will forever be grateful and thankful that Michaela was at Corey's and that she didn't get bounced from home to home. And that Corey cared for her and loved her just like she was her own, and she still does.”
Today, Jackie and Michaela are thriving. Jackie now lives in her own home in a quiet, safe town. “I work a job; my bills are paid. We have everything that we need.” Most importantly, Michaela is happy. “Michaela absolutely loves it. She is over the moon that she has her own bedroom… She loves playing in the yard. She races me to the mailbox to check the mail. She says, ‘goodbye house. See you later.’”
Jackie knows none of this would have been possible without Family Care. “I wouldn’t be where I am today or who I am today if I didn’t have ABCH and the Family Care program… definitely would not have my car or the things that are in my home if it wasn’t for ABCH and Family Care and the people that are involved.”
Her journey came full circle—from a childhood in foster care, to almost losing her daughter to the same system, to finally building a safe and stable home. Jackie says she now wants to encourage other moms entering the program. “I wish there was a way that I could help new moms coming into the program…you really don’t have to worry about anything. And you set yourself up for success.”
For Jackie, Family Care wasn’t just a program. It was the difference between loss and restoration, despair and hope, brokenness and family.
To learn more about our family care program, visit here.
*Name has been changed for privacy