
When their mother was incarcerated for physical abuse and drug use, two little girls entered the foster care system.
The Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) reached out to the girls' father, Jermaine, and began a plan for reunification. At the time, Jermaine was living with his mother in a one bedroom apartment and was in a difficult situation himself with limited resources—but he made the courageous decision to fight for a better, more stable future for his daughters.
Step by step, Jermaine began to rebuild. With support from his 100 Families Initiative family advocate, he secured full-time employment at Ozark Mountain Poultry, completed parenting classes, and worked through every requirement in his DCFS case plan. He relocated to a house in Batesville so that he could set up child care for his children while he worked. His daughters now have their own beds and everything they need.
Jermaine shared with us that he still doesn’t have a bed of his own—but to him, that’s okay.
“My girls have everything they need,” he said. With his community's help, he has also enrolled both children in school: the older will begin Kindergarten this fall, and the younger will start Head Start.
Today, we are proud to share that Jermaine has been reunited with his daughters, and his case is on track to be officially closed on July 1.
With continued support, Jermaine remains focused on achieving the personal goals he’s set for himself and creating a stable, loving home. His story is one of hope, strength, and a father’s unwavering commitment to his children.
Smart Justice is a magazine, podcast, and continuing news coverage from the nonprofit Restore Hope and covers the pursuit of better outcomes on justice system-related issues, such as child welfare, incarceration, and juvenile justice. Our coverage is solutions-oriented, focusing on the innovative ways in which communities are solving issues and the lessons that have been learned as a result of successes and challenges.
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