I gotta tell you all about the wonderful parents I have contact with everyday – moms (and some dads) who are volunteering as staff for ATN. Everyday I’m astonished by two things about these people:

1. how they continue to make time to reach out to other families in crisis and to forward the mission of ATN, which is support, education and advocacy for traumatized children and their families. These parents do this even as their own family situations remain challenging. At any given moment one or more of our staff has a child who is placed outside the home (RTC, hospital or jail). At any given moment one or more of our staff has a child who is having a crisis with school. At any given moment one or more of our staff has a child who had a meltdown that day. Yet, we still manage to reach out to hundreds of other families each and every day. I’m in awe of these people’s dedication, tenacity, strength and hope.
2. how educated, intelligent, articulate and talented ATN’s staff is. I’m ever amazed when I find out what these people do when they’re not volunteering for ATN. The only pre-requisite for being on ATN’s staff is a burning desire to help other parents and traumatized children. Staff approach us with ideas on how they can help. And we always need the help! Then I find out the other profound things they are doing with their lives.

What sparked me to blog about our talented volunteer staff at ATN was one of the newest additions to our staff, Nancy Bostock. Nancy is a mom I met at ATN’s national conference this summer. She has been a part of one of our online support communities for a while and has since volunteered as a group moderator.

Yesterday, Nancy attended a public hearing held by the Florida’s Senate Committee on Children, Families and Elder Affairs. During her two-minute allotment, she shared her family’s story. You can read it here.

Nancy’s story is not unusual to adoptive families who are parenting very severely emotionally disordered children. In many states, not just Florida, parents are forced to abandon their children to the state (give the state custody) in order to get the child the in-patient or residential treatment he/she needs. While adoptive parents are more likely to face this, it is not just an adoption issue. Biological parents of children with mental illnesses often find themselves in the same dilemma. When the insurance coverage runs out, there is no other way to access services (that if a family tried to pay out-of-pocket would bankrupt them in a matter of months), than to relinquish your child to the state.

Nancy bravely spoke out about the lack of post-adoptive services, and showed up complete with handouts of information for the committee on adoption, trauma and attachment disorder. HOORAY Nancy!

See what I mean??? I am privileged to run with a pack of outstanding and awesome parents. Each and every day I’m awed and amazed!

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