Last Halloween

I has been almost a year since my son Ben moved into a care home. We were so blessed to find a facility at all. There are about 8-10 kids for each opening. I happened to call a few days before his house was going to choose another boy. I quickly faxed all of the paperwork that they needed and then we waited.


These homes are so expensive that the government isn't really opening anymore. Richard, who is the social worker for the care home company said that is is about $9,000 per child for care and housing. So Ben's house with the six occupants costs about $54,000 per month to run. That is psycho!


Ignoring the bureaucracy, if it wasn't our son, it would be someone else's child, and we were at our wit's end. I was sure that my husband would have a heart attack from all of the stress. He was working full-time, in school full-time and had five kids at home. Me? I have a lot of gray hair.

Well, obviously, he was accepted into the care home. He went in on Halloween morning last year. We still are not sure what to do with ourselves. We are working hard to get organized. He is doing really well. He walks a lot to keep out of trouble. He has lost 30 lbs. and looks great. We were afraid that he would get type 2 diabetes the way he was growing. Having small children in the house and often only one exhausted parent on duty, we couldn't meet his needs.

When he comes home for visits, it is pretty shocking. He is a lot of work. We have forgotten. We feel that he is innocent before God because of his Autism. He is so childlike in his understanding, but he sure knows how to make a little hell for everyone else when he is bored or feeling OCD.

He is twelve years old now and has turned into a handsome young man. I can't wait for the day that Christ makes him whole again. I cry every time that I think about it.It is a long journey and I am so glad to have the help that our family needed and I am so glad that Ben is happy.