31 Days of Halloween

Austin Says

For the second time, young five-year-old Austin found himself sitting in Nancy Lyons' office. On a Friday afternoon, as she prepared to leave for the weekend, Jeannie and Keith Knowles rushed in with Austin in tow. Catching her by surprise, she looked up at them in disbelief. Here stood a small child, already traumatized by the system, and now his foster parents were bringing him back, yelling at her because he didn't fit in with their family.

"You didn't tell us we were getting a special needs child," Jeannie hissed.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Knowles, what on earth are you talking about? Austin isn't a special needs child, and if he were, then he would need someone even more so."

"Yeah, I think you should probably reevaluate that statement. I'll return the payment we received, we don't want anything to do with that thing."

"Mrs. Knowles, you are referring to a child, and I insist you act like it," Nancy snapped.

Jeannie Knowles glared at her, "He isn't a child. He's a monster." Turning to face Austin directly, she spoke, "You will never find a home, there is something wrong with you, you are the spawn of Satan himself."

"Mrs. Knowles! Please, leave, immediately!" Nancy demanded.

Austin burst into tears and threw himself on the small sofa in the office. Moving to comfort the child, Jeannie and Keith turned to walk away. Before they left the room, Nancy stopped them.

"I'm going to file paperwork to initiate a review, revoking your status as foster parents. These children require love, compassion, caring, and nurturing. From what I have witnessed, you provide none of the above. Are there occasional behavioral issues, of course there are. The lives they are ripped from are not good, they lose the only people they know as parents, and for you to speak to a child this way is abhorrent."

"You don't have to file anything, we quit."

Keith Knowles said nothing, but his eyes never left the child, eyes filled with hate and distrust. As the door slammed behind them, Nancy had to scramble to find somewhere to place Austin, at least for the weekend. Everyone she called was full or unavailable. She knew she would be forced to leave him at the juvenile detention facility until Monday when they had the time to place him. Holding the crying boy in her arms, she didn't want to do that.

"Austin, can you wait here in my office for just a few minutes. I have to go speak with my boss about something," she asked.

Whimpering and sniffing, he replied through his gasps and tears "Yes."

Angry that any adult would speak to a child in the manner that the Knowles had, she could not understand what caused them to react this way. She had worked with Austin for several weeks herself and never had any issues. Knocking on the office door, she pushed it open.

"Mary, I need to speak with you for a moment."

"What's going on?" Mary Burton asked.

"The family who was fostering Austin Clay brought him back a few moments ago. Some awful things were said, and he is now in my office crying. I've called everywhere I can think of to place him, at least for the weekend, but everyone is full. The only other recourse is juvenile hall."

Mary Burton, Director of Child Protection Services fostering program, stood and walked to the large window. Gazing out over the parking lot, she sighed, "I guess that's what we'll have to do. Poor kid, I hate sending kids there, it's not their fault, and then they are treated like a common criminal, and the boy is what? Five?"

"Yes, he's five. I do have one other idea," Nancy replied.

"I'm listening."

"I am going to be home all weekend he could come and stay with me."