Baby Jessy's Story

Every year over 100 new children are placed in foster care with Harlem Dowling. Every child and every family is different and requires a comprehensive assessment of their individual needs, always focusing on safety and permanency first. Due to the nature and circumstances of how and why some children come into care, we can easily forget that every child and every family is different and every child and family deserves the best opportunity for a safe and timely reunification plan. That is easily said than done. Our experience with Baby Jessy is what makes Harlem Dowling special and why our goal of helping children and families in crisis and distress is so vitally important.

Baby Jessy was placed in foster care from birth in the home of her paternal aunt, who became her foster mother. Baby Jessy's birth mother was a young woman married to a man twice her age. Both parents had mental health diagnoses and were residing together in a shelter. The birth mother had been raised in foster care and was devastated by the idea of having her baby in foster care. However, at the time of Baby Jessy's birth, the mother was on probation because of the death of her first baby two years earlier.

From the time of Baby Jessy's placement until discharge, Harlem Dowling worked diligently with the birth mother to give her every opportunity to develop a viable service plan that would lead to permanency and reunification for Baby Jessy and her mother. During Baby Jessy's placement, both parents visited regularly, always on time for visits and they were very caring and attentive to the needs of Baby Jessy. The parents were very dedicated to making sure that Baby Jessy achieved her developmental milestones. Babies are very easy to fall in love with, and Baby Jessy was no exception. Everyone that came into contact with Baby Jessy fell in love with her and knew her well. When it was time for discharge, everyone at Harlem Dowling who knew Baby Jessy found it hard to let her go. It was especially difficult for her foster mother.

After each visit between Baby Jessy and her mother, the mother was inconsolable and would always look for extra support and advice as to what else she could do to get her baby back. Due to the concerns regarding her mental health diagnosis and because of her tragic past, very few were willing to give this mother a second chance. Even the father abandoned the mother during this very difficult time, arguing he wanted his family to adopt Baby Jessy. However, this mother was so determined to get her baby back. With the incredible work of a dedicated team of staff at Harlem Dowling, it became our mission to make the discharge for Baby Jessy and her mother to become a reality. With the help of Harlem Dowling, the mother completed and complied with all of her mental health services, demonstrating the capacity to care for her child safely. The mother secured employment and housing for herself and Baby Jessy. Baby Jessy was able to spend her first birthday at home with her mother. This was a very difficult case and not an easy case to defend given the family's past history, but the team at Harlem Dowling believes in second chances and giving every family an opportunity to succeed. Today, we proudly celebrate the reunification of Baby Jessy and her mother and we are proud to have been a "part of the solution".