A 10-year-old boy in Seattle walked into a school for the first time last week after spending much of his childhood living in a tent in a North Seattle park.
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boy → walk → park
His first day of school came after an 11-month effort by a local nonprofit, neighbours and others to help him and his mother move out of life on the streets.
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him → come → streets
The boy had been living in the tent with his mother, who was struggling with fentanyl addiction and was being sexually exploited, according to Kristine Moreland, executive director of The More We Love, a Kirkland-based organisation that works with homeless women and children, KRI reported.
uncertain
KRI → live → women
The boy's father had also refused offers of housing, food and other services.
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father → refuse → housing
Moreland said the boy had been living in difficult conditions and had never experienced school before.
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boy → say → school
“This young man has been in fight or flight since the day he was born,” she said.
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she → bear → day
After his first day in the classroom, however, the boy gave the people who had been helping him a simple response.
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who → give → response
“I want to go back.”
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I → want → ?
His journey towards school began in October last year, when Moreland and her team first visited the tent where the boy was living.
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boy → begin → tent
The situation had already drawn the attention of neighbours, who had repeatedly contacted the Seattle Police Department and Child Protective Services.
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who → draw → Department
Neighbours kept raising concerns
According to Moreland, authorities had determined on several occasions that the boy was not in imminent danger.
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boy → keep → danger
The nonprofit, however, continued visiting the tent and trying to help the family.
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nonprofit → continue → family
“Everybody kept saying the same thing: He is ok.
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He → say → thing
He is safe,” Moreland said.
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Moreland → say → ?
“We continued to show up at that tent, knowing that that was not the case.”
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that → continue → tent
The situation received wider attention in December after KIRO Newsradio reported on the boy.
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Newsradio → receive → boy
Moreland was recorded offering the family immediate shelter, including a private room that was available that day.
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that → record → room
The boy's father rejected the offer.
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father → reject → offer
“Not from you,” he told her.
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he → tell → her
The situation changed in the early hours of New Year's Day.
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situation → change → Day
A Seattle police officer called Moreland and told her that the boy and his mother were ready to accept help.
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boy → call → help
The mother entered treatment for active fentanyl addiction, while The More We Love helped connect her with recovery services.
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We → enter → services
The organisation also arranged behavioural health treatment for the boy through Seattle Children's Hospital.
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organisation → arrange → Hospital
Moreland said her team worked with another mission to find long-term housing for the family.
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team → say → family
However, that agency was unable to manage the boy's behavioural challenges and the family was released back to the streets.
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family → manage → streets
That did not end the effort to help them.
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That → end → them
“We said, not a chance.
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We → say → chance
Our case managers have dug in day after day, helping this little man get through this,” Moreland said.
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Moreland → dig → this
The boy had been living in the tent with his mother, who was struggling with fentanyl addiction
A fresh new start
The boy's mother remains in recovery, Moreland said.
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Moreland → live → recovery
She described that progress as a big deal while also pointing to the difficulties involved in learning to parent while dealing with addiction and trauma.
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She → describe → addiction
“She has been in the cycle predominantly her whole life,” Moreland said.
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Moreland → say → cycle
“We really have to work on her traumas as well.”
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We → have → traumas
For the boy, the nonprofit's work did not stop with getting him into school.
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work → stop → school
Moreland said the boy still faces challenges as he adjusts to a new life, including the possibility of being bullied at school.
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he → say → school
She said people should not romanticise what comes next simply because he has now reached a classroom.
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he → say → classroom
“And what if he was still living in the tent?” Moreland said.
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Moreland → live → tent
Many families still need help
Moreland said the boy's situation is not unique.
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situation → need → help
She said she receives calls every day from law enforcement and community partners about women and children living in encampments across the region.
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she → say → region
The More We Love has also received a $500,000 matching donation from an anonymous donor to support efforts to help women and children living in encampments.
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We → receive → encampments
Moreland said donations to the organisation through its website would be matched.
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donations → say → website
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
