Carlos: Healing and Hope

Carlos* is a curious 12-year-old boy who loves art, especially pencil drawings. Carlos became court involved when his mother filed a Child Requiring Assistance application due to chronic absences and not listening at home.

In 5th grade, he missed 34 days of school, and by March of 6th grade, he had already missed 82 days. The transition from elementary to middle school is challenging for many kids. The academic demands are higher and there is less support. But Carlos was also experiencing other challenges.

Carlos had been exposed to domestic violence throughout his childhood, which only ended when his father was incarcerated. Carlos and his mother had immigrated to the U.S. in 2021 to search for a better life. Carlos’ mother works incredibly hard to support their family and her long hours mean that she is often not home to help get Carlos ready for school. As a new middle schooler, Carlos was also navigating language and cultural barriers, and was missing his home community.

“I was really concerned about Carlos’s quality of life. He had withdrawn from peers and family. He had become irritable and easily agitated, often arguing with his mother or becoming physically aggressive at times,” said his ACS clinician. These are often symptoms of depression, particularly in boys. His clinician recommended additional special education support and an in-home behavioral assessment to further evaluate the function of his truancy.

After submitting the evaluation to the Court, Carlos’ clinician remained involved to ensure he received the support he needed. Services were challenging to obtain due to Carlos having limited insurance. Carlos is now working with one of ACS’ treatment clinicians, and we were able to connect him to a Spanish speaking psychologist for a more thorough diagnostic evaluation. With funds that ACS designates for urgent client needs, we were able to pay for a 3-month membership to the YMCA, where Carlos could connect and have fun with his peers outside of school. Carlos really loves swimming.

The kids that we work with at ACS have increasingly complex needs and are facing unbelievable obstacles and challenges. But each and every child we meet also has incredible strength, resiliency, and potential.

*To protect confidentiality, ACS does not use the names, photos, or identifying features of our clients.