At the Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, we understand that juvenile arrest can be symptomatic of greater issues going in the child’s life. That’s why we listen. We learn. And we help.

When we first met “Taron” in March 2019, he was a high school sophomore struggling with untreated mental illness. He would lash out teachers and family, and disappear for days on end. Sadly, this would result in frequent hospitalizations. While he had initially been arrested for simple theft, his continued erratic behavior resulted in more arrests, and more hospitalizations.

When our social worker, Lana, began working with Taron, she committed to getting him out of the spiral he felt trapped in. She began by helping him find a therapist he could trust. Not only that, but she ensured he had transportation to and from his sessions – a frequent roadblock for many of our kids in accessing mental health care.

Lana also helped Taron enroll in a new school that was committed to addressing his unique needs, and wouldn’t just push him out at the first sign of trouble. She helped his new school social worker and special education teacher develop relationships with him. She also helped Taron get involved with some positive after school activities: basketball and weightlifting.

Taron told Lana that he previously had a hard time getting himself up for school every day – like pretty much every teen ever. Lana helped his family put a plan in place to ensure that he gets out the door on time. In the beginning, Lana herself would frequently check up on him to make sure he was awake and on his way.

Now, a year after we met him in crisis, Taron is attending school and counseling regularly, and is more physically active than ever before. With is probation case ending soon, we’re so proud of Taron’s progress and cannot wait to see his successes in the future.

Your support makes the success of Taron and kids like him possible. Thank you!