Weathering the Challenges of Change

We have now experienced the early chill of winter and passed through the Thanksgiving holiday. The weeks ahead will usher in the Christmas season and welcome the New Year. As with all things, the changing of seasons is a constant in our lives. As we enter 2009, many of the changes will not be as festive. Our national economy has dramatically changed with further deficits on the horizon. The state agencies that support our children’s needs are struggling and are likely to pass on increasingly stringent cost-saving measures. Within the larger provider community, we face major changes in the rules, processes and requirements that affect the treatment available to troubled children and their families. Those of us who serve children and families will look at these changes in the context of all that it takes in this day and age to help a single child. In quiet desperate moments many of us will ask—why? Our children’s needs did not diminish, go away or somehow fix themselves. In fact, according to any number of reports, our nation’s children are struggling with increasingly severe and complex problems—from trouble with learning and behavior to abuse, neglect, hurt and abandonment. The challenges facing those who provide treatment, education and care to our nation’s children have accelerated. Not only do we face increased costs for essentials such as food, housing, transportation and insurance, we will be confronted with increased regulations and ever more stringent requirements. Challenges and change can be both professional and personal. After many years of direct service to children and families I will move to a new office and begin a different journey at CBR YouthConnect (see sidebar). Aaron and his family were the last of my therapy cases. My promise to Aaron and his mother was that I would personally continue to provide their therapy until he was discharged and reunited with his family. As the end of Aaron’s treatment drew near, he greeted me as I walked across campus late one evening. After a few routine questions, Aaron blurted out, “When do you give up?” His query caught me off guard and I paused for a moment. And then, as simple as his question had been, the answer was as well—“never.”
Despite the problems that plague our state and national governments, we must for the sake of our children, never ever give up. As we get ready for the uncertainties of the New Year, I wish you unwaveringly belief in our children and families and the commitment it takes to see another child successfully return home.
—Martin Masar, CBR YouthConnect Executive Director of Campus Operations

This entry was posted on 29. December 2008 at 18:54 and is filed under Family, Parents. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.