Erin Curran has worked with youth and families for five years as an Intensive Family Preservation Clinician with KVC Nebraska. She has a gift for working with at-risk youth in the community by quickly building a bond with them and helping them get their lives on track by setting goals, supporting them, focusing on family time, and attending school daily. KVC Clinician Curran is respected and sought after by many Probation Officers because of her obvious dedication to the field and commitment to the families she serves.

Curran recently worked an IFP case with a 14-year-old at-risk young man on probation. The teen was heavily gang affiliated at the time, acted out in school, and was expecting his first child. Curran did an excellent job of gaining the respect and trust of the youth in order to assess the needs of the family. She looked for what would work best to achieve sustainable change in the home and at school. She observed that the teen’s grandfather set the rules and monitored the youth more closely than the other adults in the home, so it was decided that the grandfather would do most of the parenting in the home.

While Curran was at the youth’s school one day, a rival gang showed up and attempted to enter the school in order to confront the teen. Luckily the school doors were locked, but after this incident, Curran worked tirelessly with the youth and family to help minimize his risk in the community. The youth became very fond of Curran and her genuine desire to help him. He asked her for guidance and expressed his desire to better himself so that he could be a good role-model for his son. Curran helped the youth learn how to care for an infant and support the mother of the child.

The teen’s son was born at the time of the case closure. Curran went to visit the youth and his baby boy, and he asked her to remain a part of his life because he loved her and needed her support. She was happy to oblige with this request and was overjoyed to remain a support in his life. This story shows the power of support and faith in others, and how caring for one person can affect their care for others.

KVC Nebraska’s Family Support Services improve family functioning and increase positive parent/child interactions. Contact us today to refer a family for services.

*This winning story was received during our 2015 summer story contest by the Intensive Family Preservation Supervisor for KVC Nebraska