Joey’s Story

Client case: Joey’s Story

One case DCF referred to CLA’s Family Preservation Project involved a 5-year-old boy, “Joey.” DCF told Joey’s mom that if she experienced one more incident of domestic violence perpetrated by Joey’s father, Joey would be placed in foster care.

Joey’s mom was reluctant to file a restraining order against Joey’s father, at least in part because he had court-ordered parenting time and helped her with childcare. Despite encountering initial resistance, the Project’s Case Manager, Sophie Chambers, was able to educate the DCF social worker about the complexities of intimate partner violence. Chambers recommended that Joey’s mom enroll in domestic violence services at the YWCA and file a no-trespass order against Joey’s father.

Eventually, after multiple conversations with the YWCA counselor and the Project’s team, Joey’s mom decided—on her own volition—to fully separate from Joey’s father. The DCF worker then decided not only to forgo acting on her previous threat of removal, but also to close the DCF case.