Caleigh was initially referred to Easterseals VT’s Intensive Family Based Services due to concerns about her son Keagan’s wellbeing. Keagan, a fourteen-year-old who was born prematurely at 24 weeks faces developmental challenges. When his school noticed a drop in weight, a report was filed with the Department for Children and Families (DCF).
Easterseals VT’s Intensive Family Based Services supports families who may be struggling or are at risk of having their children removed from their care. This comprehensive 13-week program aims to help families remain together safely through in-home family focused services.
Following an investigation, it became evident that Caleigh was overwhelmed as she navigated life’s challenges while managing Keagan’s care, and she subsequently began working with Lilly, Easterseals VT Intensive Family Based Services Coordinator.
When Lilly first started working with Caleigh, she discovered that Caleigh was burdened with a lengthy to do list, and uncertain about where and how to begin. “We started problem solving, coming up with ways of making things easier for her,” Lilly shared. Lilly assisted Caleigh with many tasks that improved her and her family’s quality of life, like enrolling her in Medicaid insurance, finding a therapist, arranging Keagan’s doctors’ appointments, taking a course on building credit, and improving communication with Keagan’s school team. “Lilly and Easterseals VT were really great to work with because they helped me and my family get connected to resources that I otherwise wouldn’t have done or didn’t know they existed,” Caleigh expressed.
“We focused on taking care of Caleigh so that she could take care of Keagan,” explained Lilly. By the end of their time working together, Caleigh felt more confident in her role as Keagan’s mother, her family had grown stronger, and they had laid out a plan for their future – all thanks to the empowering support from Lilly and Easterseals VT’s Intensive Family Based Services.