Finding My Voice at the Table

"I just wanted my kids back."

That is how Jolene remembers the beginning of her Wraparound journey.

Her three children—Lily-Anne, Hannah and Ernie-Max—were living in foster care and already receiving Wraparound services while she worked to rebuild her life. As she completed residential treatment for substance use and began visitation with her children, she became aware that Wraparound team meetings were taking place without her.

"I wasn't being included," she recalled. "That was really hard because I wanted to know what was happening and how I could help my kids. I wanted to be part of the conversations and understand what I needed to do to help bring them home."

Feeling left out made Jolene feel like she was already behind. She wanted to provide the guidance, consistency and support her children needed, but without a seat at the table, she wasn't sure where to begin. She started asking questions of her social worker and the Wraparound team, looking for ways to become more involved.

Looking back, Jolene smiles when she describes herself during those early days. "I was very demanding."

She admits she was frustrated, overwhelmed and unsure how to ask for help in ways that others could hear. Her social worker recognized that beneath her frustration was a mother who desperately wanted to reunify with her children. Rather than seeing conflict, they saw potential. Together, they began working on how to ask questions, advocate for herself and participate in ways that built partnership instead of barriers.

That was the beginning of finding her voice.

Once Jolene became an active member of the Wraparound team, everything began to change.

"I really didn't know what I needed or how to get it," she said. "I just wanted my kids back."

Instead of trying to solve every challenge at once, the team helped Jolene focus on one step at a time. Together, they identified her family's strengths, clarified their needs and created a shared vision for the future. Planning was no longer about paperwork. It became a roadmap that helped Jolene see where she was headed and how she could get there.

One activity made a lasting impression.

"As part of the planning, I created a vision board and finally saw a positive future," Jolene shared. "Everything I wanted was addressed."

Little by little, that vision started becoming reality.

The team connected the family with parenting classes, family counseling, transportation assistance, housing resources and Flex Funds that helped with food and rental deposits. Each resource became another step toward reunification.

Planning also helped Jolene build positive relationships with her children's foster parents. Instead of feeling like they were on opposite sides, they learned to work together to provide consistency for the children as they prepared to transition home.

"I had a positive voice at the table," Jolene said.

Each Wraparound meeting became an opportunity to celebrate progress, make adjustments and address new challenges as they arose. The Plan of Care evolved with the family's changing needs, while the team's shared commitment remained the same.
"They really believed in me," she reflected. "And the kids felt it too."

That belief made all the difference.

Today, the family's Child Welfare case has been successfully closed and the children are home.

Fifteen-year-old Lily-Anne says Wraparound helped strengthen communication between her and her mom. Jolene has watched her daughter become more respectful, determined and confident as she stepped out of the parenting role she once felt she had to fill for her siblings. Lily-Anne has created goals of her own. She plans to graduate from high school, begin taking college courses, earn her driver's license and one day help other families experience success.

Jolene has also seen positive changes in Hannah, who is calmer and feels more secure, and in Ernie-Max, whose strengths were recognized through Wraparound and led to placement in a GATE school program where he continues to thrive.

Although formal Wraparound has ended, many of the relationships remain. Jolene credits her Parent Partner Yolanda for always being there.

"She never gave up on me."

Today, Jolene continues setting new goals. She is pursuing full-time employment, attending truck driving school, serving as a leader in her recovery support group and participating in peer groups to encourage other families facing similar challenges. She also speaks with community groups and local leaders to share her family's journey and help others understand the importance of Wraparound services where parents truly have a voice.

"They really believed in me," she said. "That gave me the confidence to believe in myself."