Sharon and Stewart Smith have decided to bring a foster child into their home. Stewart thinks another child in the family would be a good idea for everyone, but especially for Robert. Having another boy around might give him someone to play with and keep his mother from coddling him so much.
 Alan is a 9-year-old biracial boy. His biological mother was a foster child herself. She eloped at the age of 15, marrying an older, abusive man. Alan's mother was neglectful of him and was unable to protect him from his stepfather’s anger. Alan never knew his biological father, but his stepfather was an alcoholic who also abused drugs. He was physically and emotionally abusive towards Alan.
Alan first came into care at the age of 2½ due to extreme neglect and his mother’s inability to keep his stepfather from physically abusing him. Initially, when he came into care Alan wet the bed, spraying and urinating everywhere. He had temper tantrums and threw objects and would only allow himself to be bathed if he was wearing swim trunks. He has moved to 7 different foster homes in 5 years. Most of the moves were due to his behavior: hitting, aggression, temper tantrums, and kicking. In the last two years, he has been in therapy and his behavior has improved significantly.
He was moved this time only because of the illness of his foster mother.
His caseworker hopes a stable environment, such as the Smith’s, will help him continue his gains.
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