Hearing a Parent’s Perspective with their Child at Hull

Submitted on Thursday, 10/17/2024 - 12:41 pm

The impact our Preadolescent Treatment Program had on a mother and her son

When children and youth come to Hull Services, they are often facing many big emotions and feelings.  

And on the other side of that is the parent, who is having to watch their child go through those struggles, thoughts, and feelings. These parents are not only faced with the prospect of their child being away from home, causing sleepless nights and worrying, but they’re also wondering if there’s light at the end of the tunnel. 

Bobbie Beddoes adopted her son when he was four years old, and she was his sixth placement at that time.  

Despite being in a stable and loving home environment, her son faced some unique challenges that were difficult for Bobbie to navigate. Being a single parent also meant Bobbie didn’t always have the support she needed, which was tough on her. 

“Finally, when he was 11 years old, he was accepted into Hull’s Preadolescent Treatment Program (PTP). I had been applying for close to a year,” Bobbie says, adding there was a waitlist to get in. 

The first four months of his time in PTP, Bobbie’s son was on our SW Campus, and would get time at home on the weekend, but then like the rest of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic drastically limited how often could people see one another, adding another variable and layer of stress for both Bobbie and her son. 

While it was hard for them both, Bobbie was able to see some big improvements in her son. “He had lots of fun in PTP. They taught him skills, taught me skills, and most importantly, I got a much-needed break,” she says. 

By connecting with her son when she could, Bobbie was able to see the positive influence Hull and PTP were having on him.

“When he did well and was making improvements, they let him know. You could see his confidence growing.”

Even though most are younger than me as a parent, they instilled good rules and stuck to them. They also brought that younger attitude, which was great for my son,” Bobbie says. 

Stories like Bobbie’s mean so much to us, and hearing the positive impacts and support we have in our community motivates us to continue the work we do.  

We appreciate Bobbie sharing her story and are thankfulr for her vulnerability and openness about her experience as a parent with a child at Hull.