Mike and Sherry Core
Mike and Sherry Core have cared for 25 kids as a foster family. They’ve adopted two of them, and the rest have successfully transitioned back to their birth families or on to living independently.
With four biological teenagers, Sherry and Mike were a little apprehensive about taking in their first child; but they both knew it was worth opening their home. It was 14 years ago, and Four Oaks had just been given a grant to help kids transition from residential treatment into highly trained foster homes. With 10-years experience working in residential treatment facilities, Mike knew he was qualified. And he understood the need.
"I’d spent 10 years working with kids who were ready to go to a family, but didn’t have a family to go back to," Mike says.
Starting as a "contract foster care family" meant the Cores spent three months to two years at a time caring for high-risk children, with the goal of stabilizing them and sending them back to their birth families or other permanent living environments. Sherry was the parent who decided to stay home, because the kids needed round-the-clock supervision and daily contact with schools and other providers.
The Cores quickly learned that being a foster family went beyond working with and caring for the children; it also meant working with birth families. There were times the kids were ready to be with their birth families, but found their birth family was not ready for their return. It was in these instances, the Cores would partner with the birth families to help ensure a successful transition.
When the contract program was eliminated through DHS, Sherry went to work for Iowa KidsNet, the six-agency collaboration that includes Four Oaks, as a placement specialist for the Cedar Rapids service area. Mike now works as Four Oaks’ safety supervisor for the safety and permanency program, and as a family support specialist and Cedar Rapids area recruitment and retention specialist for Iowa Kids Net.
Their 16-year-old adopted daughter is a happy, healthy high-school student with regular contact with her birth family. And the Cores maintain a relationship with the son they adopted too, who is now 21.
"As a family unit we’ve done nothing but get stronger," Mike says. "With each crisis and with everyday problems, we’ve learned to be resilient and closer knit."
"We still learn on a daily basis," Sherry says.
For parents considering fostering, Mike says the resources and support network available to families is 10-times better than it was a decade ago thanks to organizations like Four Oaks.
There’s no better treatment or support for a child to learn essential values to succeed as adults than being in a family, Mike says. It’s very powerful and rewarding to see children placed back in their families, and to know you’ve been a part of that.
Sierra Gusick
A ferocious fight with her mother had just landed Sierra Gusick in the Linn County detention center for two weeks. It was October of 2005. At age 15, Sierra's short fuse had gotten her into big trouble, once again. It wasn't too surprising—Sierra's boiling temper was a natural consequence of her troubled teenage past.
When she was 14, Sierra had started seeing a boy who began to abuse her physically and emotionally. To soothe her battered feelings, she self-medicated, and eventually became addicted to drugs and alcohol. As she dealt with a difficult life situation, Sierra became angry with herself for getting into such a mess. This internal anger frequently surfaced in her interactions with others, putting her in confrontational situations. It was a vicious circle, and the fight with her mother seemed to bring it all to a head.
But then, hope emerged in the form of the Teen+Plus Program at Four Oaks. During her detention stay, Sierra met Kim Lord, a juvenile court officer. Kim got Sierra enrolled in the Teen+Plus Aggression Replacement Therapy (A.R.T.) program in early November 2005. Four other kids, ages 13 to 16, began the 10-week program at the Four Oaks facility in Cedar Rapids at the same time.
Sierra and the other teens attended a two-hour group session each week. Early on, Sierra learned how to recognize and understand her anger. In a phase called Anger Control Training, she learned about self-control and how to use tools like positive stops and imagery to manage anger in difficult situations.
Led by A.R.T. counselor and certified Teen+Plus staffer Curt Gauley, the teens practiced their skills through role-playing and group feedback. Sierra learned to solve problems, make mature decisions and interact positively in social situations. Eventually, she was able to start using the same skills outside the classroom in real-life situations.
"The Teen+Plus program was life-changing for me," Sierra said. "Curt Gauley helped provide opportunities for me to get help and become the person I am today. Without the help of Teen+Plus, Curt and my family, I probably wouldn’t be alive today."
Following a six-month residential treatment program, Sierra has been clean and sober for more than two years. At age 18, she's now helping other kids deal with their teen problems. After serving as a volunteer at Four Oaks, she became a full-time staff member in November 2007. She works as a youth counselor for both the Teen+Plus A.R.T. group sessions and for the Four Oaks After School Program.
For other troubled teens, Sierra has a few words of advice. "You have to want the help," she said. "No one will know, unless you ask for help."
When she was down, Sierra asked for help. And now, with assistance from Four Oaks, she's on her way to a successful life.
