Alex entered John C. Tracey Group Home for Boys with problems of conduct disorder and a lack of supervision. He continued to struggle with behavior problems & was placed on a behavior contract. Faced with discharge from the program, Alex dramatically changed his behavior, quickly becoming one of the highest achieving residents at JCT. His case manager worked with his probation officer to change his guardianship so that he could visit a close relative on weekends. This has helped him to stay on track and to maintain a positive attitude.

Read about our own “Isaiah” who came from the streets of Baltimore to Hearts and Homes in December 2007 where he lived in our John C. Tracey Home in Rockville for two years. His story “Saving Isaiah” is featured in the March 2010 issue of Washingtonian Magazine. Hearts and Homes hired Ms. Patricia Temoney-Salmon around the same time Isaiah moved in and was assigned as his caseworker. This is a gripping tale of what happens when the magical combination of boundaries, love and compassion are combined with a safe, loving home for Isaiah and others who come to Hearts and Homes troubled and leave on their way to becoming independent, productive adults.

Read the full article!

Tyler was a premature baby, delivered at 26 weeks and at 1 pound and 13 ounces. He had been exposed to drugs in the womb and abandoned by his mother at the hospital. His father is unknown. Tyler had behavior problems at every placement. He was easily stressed and threw frequent temper tantrum, swore and frequently hit his peers.

Tyler was placed in one of our therapeutic foster homes in 2007. He has been thriving there, forming a strong attachment to his foster parents and improving his behavior. He does well at home, at the babysitter’s, and in school. He has begun to recognize his letters and numbers. Tyler was adopted by his foster parents in 2008, shortly after turning six years old.

Kellie came to Marys Mount Therapeutic Group Home from a locked facility. She was a severe alcoholic, often defiant to her parents, and attended school sporadically. During the six months Kellie has been with us, she has consistently attended AA meetings, gone to school every day, and learned to follow direction on home visits. She will be successfully discharged in January 2009.

When Maria entered the Damamli program in April
of 2006, she was excited about this program and what the future might hold. She
had recently been kicked out of her foster home for fighting with the other
foster child and later bounced from foster home to foster home due to her
non-compliance with the household rules and incidents of being AWOL (absent
without leave). In spite of this, Maria was an honor roll student that didn’t
allow her pregnancy to get her off track.