“He just needed someone to go at his pace.”
~ Christine, Adoptive Mom
Vicki and Christine’s story is told to celebrate Fostering Great Ideas 15th year of supporting and restoring lives and relationships within the foster care system.
The challenges were always clear.
Besides living with autism and ADHD, “J” also had an attachment disorder from his early childhood, trauma from neglect, and required speech therapy to learn to communicate. From a young age, he was only able to scream, making his schooling even more challenging in spite of the fact that his wonderful K4 teacher would hold him until he calmed down.
It was during COVID, and virtual schooling, that revealed the extent of his special needs. In such an environment, J really required a more innovative, one-on-one approach that couldn’t be guaranteed by his remote teacher juggling 12+ other students through a screen. So Christine looked for a tutoring solution, and was matched with veteran Fostering Great Ideas tutor, Vicki.
Vicki has volunteered with Fostering Great Ideas for 15 years, beginning as a mentor and then transitioning to a tutor in 2018. When she met J in 2021, she continued to do what she always did: provide lots of structure, consistency, and patience; an essential combination for J to progress emotionally and intellectually.
With Vicki and Christine by his side, and committed to his progress, J experienced incredible transformation.
He just needed someone to go “at his pace,” Christine said. “What Vicki has done, could never be done in a traditional classroom.”
Meeting at the local library, Vicki taught J how to read, starting with sounding out the simplest of words before moving on to silly sentences invented by Vicki. Almost immediately, as a strict literalist, J loved to challenge fantasy books like Dr. Suess. “They’d baffle him!” Vicki explained. Other times, J would show up to sessions and not want to read at all, preferring to sit on the floor and pout. When this happened, Vicki and Christine remained firm. “I would tell him, “J, you’re going to be here for an hour no matter what, so you can either sit there and pout, or you can read this book with me,’” Vicki said. Every time, he eventually chose the book.
Today, now 11 years old, J’s favorite phrase is “Patience, grandma, patience” (Christine rolls her eyes while trying to understand how she ever got the title of “Grandma”). But it’s true… to him, patience literally is everything. Through patience and perseverance, Vicki has been able to get J reading on a second grade level. His learning is directly tied to his degree of trust. Fortunately, both Christine and Vicki have provided the stability and consistency essential to earning his.
We’ve had hundreds of tutors make a difference in a child’s life. Simply showing up means the world to so many children in foster care. If you or someone you know is interested in tutoring with Fostering Great Ideas, visit our Tutor Match page.
To help fund the important work of healing relationships for those living in foster care, you can support “Shine On”, Fostering Great Ideas 15th Anniversary gala on November 7th. Tickets are available at givebutter.com/shine-on-2025
