When our IHR WAVE Family Care Coordinator (FCC) first met Charlotte in a program for victims of violence, Charlotte's biggest fear was that she would lose her eleven year old son. Both Charlotte and her son had repeatedly been exposed to violence from the child's father, until Charlotte took her son and fled her home. Custody hearings had already been scheduled -and Charlotte was overcome by feelings of fear, suspicion and distrust. As her court date neared, Charlotte withdrew into a world of isolation and fear. The one positive characteristic that never wavered was her strong and loving attachment to her son.

Charlotte is a 30 year old woman whose early life was characterized by physical, mental and sexual abuse--first by her parents and then by the father of her child. This early experience of victimization resulted in physical disability and mental and emotional problems.

The WAVE FCC began working with Charlotte to address some of her difficulties in parenting. We developed a caring alliance which allowed Charlotte to begin letting go of life-long suspicions and to begin trusting people who are willing to help.

On the date of her hearing, IHR staff attended court with Charlotte and advocated on her behalf. After emerging victorious from a difficult custody suit, with the help of supportive, new friends, Charlotte started actively reaching out to people, one by one, and seeking safe relationships for herself and her son.

Charlotte's loving attachment to her son has added to her sense of courage, determination and resiliency. As time goes on, she continues to develop emotional strength. Charlotte is able to grow and have her son grow independently from her. Recently, her son has joined the WAVE WELL Child group, learning new skills to help him be resilient and cope with his feelings about the violence in his past.

With the help of a supportive social services team led by IHR, Charlotte has identified a permanent place for herself and her son to live.