For months, Jeremy* had been skipping school, talking back, and refusing to follow rules. His mother was at her breaking point. She loved him, but she couldn’t handle him. No one in the family could step up to help. She needed support.
That’s when Jeremy entered LCFS’ Southern Thirty Adolescent Center (STAC), a short-term shelter care program. At first, he resisted. He didn’t think he needed help. But as the days passed, something changed.
When Jeremy gripped the basketball, his fingers pressing into the rubber, he felt grounded. When he dribbled, the rhythm steadied his thoughts. Recreation time at STAC had become his favorite part of the day. On the court, things felt simple. No arguments. No rules to break. Just the game.
Beyond the court, staff at STAC provided counseling that helped him understand his emotions and triggers. The structured routine gave him stability. And while he was learning and growing, his mom was too. She was taking parenting classes and finding the support she needed to bring him home.
Their visits gradually got longer. Slowly, they started rebuilding what had been broken.
And then, after nearly two months, Jeremy packed his bag. This time, he wasn’t running away from home. He was going back to it. Back to a home where they could work through their struggles together.
*Names and images changed for privacy.
