Children adopted from the foster care system, even in early childhood, can experience challenges around past trauma that surface in later years. Thanks to the work of our staff, these adopted children are able to reach their full potential.

Aly and her husband Jeff adopted their daughter Sofia at age two from foster care. Sofia’s biological mother had also been in foster care and suffered from addiction.

As Sofia got older she had issues with attentiveness and experienced developmental delays. By third grade it was clear Sofia needed more focused assistance other than what school could provide.

Aly, who was herself an adoption counselor, reached out to Children’s Home Society of Washington in Clark county to obtain counseling services for Sofia and the family.

Our Child & Family Counseling program helps build stronger families through communication, stress management, parenting and problem-solving skills. Our program also works with the entire family, so parents and caregivers receive guidance and support around their child’s needs.

“Counseling with Children’s Home Society of Washington was amazing, because we were able to refine our parenting skills and get the support we needed as a family,” Aly said. “It gave us a framework to link past and present, bridging the gap in emotions and memories.”

Sofia, now 12 has learned through her own counseling sessions to handle her anxiety and previous issues around her early childhood trauma. Counseling also helped Sofia connect her past with understanding her present behaviors.

“Before counseling my brother Nico and I would fight all the time, now we don’t,” Sofia said.

“Sofia shows she feels more whole with therapy and her self-confidence has improved tremendously,” Aly said. “She knows her experiences and trauma as a small child no longer define her.”

Through the Child & Family Counseling program Aly, Jeff and Sofia now have the tools they need to navigate through their issues and become a stronger family ready for the future.

Andy Tucker serves as the director for services in Clark county.