June 14, 2024, was a day Destiny F. will never forget. She was preparing to celebrate her youngest child’s second birthday when, instead, it became the day her children were removed from their home.
Overwhelmed by depression, grief, and the fear of losing everything she loved, Destiny struggled to see a way forward. Three months later, a referral to HopeTree Family Services’ Family Support program became the beginning of her journey toward healing, hope, and reunification with her children.
When Destiny entered the program, she was experiencing one of the darkest seasons of her life. Her four children were living in kinship and foster care. She was homeless, living in her car, carrying more than $4,000 in debt, and deeply distrustful of therapy and parenting programs.
“I was in a dead space at that time in my life,” Destiny said. A year before her children were removed, Child Protective Services became involved with the family. As the pressure mounted, Destiny’s mental health continued to decline.
“My brain had already snapped, and I didn’t realize it,” she said. “It was too late, and I didn’t care to go to therapy back then.”
After losing custody, Destiny questioned whether she was capable of raising her children.
“I did not think I could go through that actual losing feeling again, especially when I didn’t feel like I was a bad mom,” she said.
Despite her fear, she accepted a referral to HopeTree’s Family Support program, which was a decision that would change her life.
Meeting Her Where She Was
HopeTree’s Family Support program partners with families involved in, or at risk of entering, the child welfare system. Through parent coaching, therapeutic visitation, supervised visitation, and individualized support, families receive practical tools and encouragement to build safe, healthy homes while working toward goals such as reunification.
Abigail “Abby” Schreiner, Family Support Supervisor, helped launch the program after recognizing that many birth parents lacked the support they needed to succeed.
“Many times, the parents of the kids who are in foster care are people who might not have had their needs met when they were children,” Abby said. “They might have experienced trauma, poverty, homelessness, or other barriers that are hard to overcome.”
Destiny was skeptical. “I just knew I was going to deal with an attitude, and I thought she was going to get the bare minimum out of me,” she said.
Instead, their first meeting ended with laughter.
“We ended the very first session with, ‘I weirdly like you, and I don’t know if I like this,'” Destiny said.
Abby met Destiny where she was, literally, holding meetings wherever worked best while she was living in her car. Rather than pushing reunification, Abby focused on helping Destiny rebuild herself first.
Together, they established four goals: improve her mental health, strengthen her parenting skills, find stable housing, and learn healthy budgeting habits.
“She was just being very non-judgmental about everything,” Destiny said.
Hope Takes Root
A month into the program, Destiny learned her sister was willing to care for her children in Georgia. For the first time, she realized she didn’t want someone else to raise them. Through conversations with Abby, she also recognized that the biggest obstacle wasn’t a lack of love; it was fear.
“It wasn’t that she didn’t want her kids,” Abby said. “It was that she was afraid she couldn’t parent them”
That realization became a turning point. Destiny began participating in visits with her children and gradually built a relationship with their foster family. They celebrated holidays together, attended gymnastics practices, and supported one another through life’s challenges. When Destiny’s car was repossessed, the foster family even loaned her a vehicle.
“We still have a great relationship,” Destiny said. “They’re actually my emergency contacts.”
With consistent encouragement from Abby and support from the foster family, Destiny found employment, secured housing, improved her budgeting skills, enrolled in HopeTree’s Outpatient Counseling program, and continued strengthening her parenting skills.
“Abby helped me understand that my children have feelings too,” Destiny said. “Instead of getting mad, sit them down, talk to them, and help them understand.”
A Family Reunited
In May 2025, less than a year after losing custody, Destiny’s two youngest children returned home on a trial placement. By September, she had regained custody of three of her four children, while her oldest daughter remained safely with family.
“We bring the resources, but Destiny did the hard work,” Abby said. “She was willing to learn, implement new skills, and make it happen.”
Although reunification had been achieved, Destiny chose to continue participating in Family Support so she could keep building her confidence as a parent.
By the spring of 2026, she was ready to confidently tell her Family Assessment and Planning Team that she could successfully parent on her own.
“I truly appreciate Abby not giving up on me,” Destiny said. “If HopeTree supports me like this, then I can’t imagine what you guys do for other people.”
Because of HopeTree’s Family Support program, Destiny gained more than parenting skills. She gained confidence, stability, and hope. Today, she is building a brighter future for her family, one rooted in resilience, healing, and the belief that change is possible.
Become a Foster Parent & Be Part of the Journey Home
Foster parents provide more than a home; they provide hope. By welcoming a child into your family, you help create stability while supporting the goal of reunification. Could you be the support a child and family need?
