Who we are!
"If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies....."
Our goal is to better our community and to provide improved availability of services for the benefit of children. The Blue Butterfly House will be a facility that would provide a neutral location for children involved in non-DCFS case court-ordered supervised visits with loved ones, grandparent respite and grandparent support group meetings.
My friend and I have had similar life experiences including loved ones being kidnapped, the loss of a child, long court custody cases and observing as one of the parents our grandchildren struggled with mental health issues and drug addiction. We are both grandmothers recently awarded permanent guardianship of our grandchildren. While some of these circumstances are unique, unfortunately some of them are just all too common. The U. S. Census data for the year 2000 indicated that 2.4 American children were being raised solely by their grandparents. According to the 2010 data that number almost doubled to 4.9 million.
We want to make a difference. We want something positive to come from the unfortunate circumstances our grandchildren have experienced. We want to help the innocent children that are trapped in bad situations and who need our help. We believe that by sharing our stories we will bring awareness to the things that can be improved upon to help children in the future. We also hope to advocate for change of certain laws and the policies and procedures for some agencies which make if difficult for them to do what is in the "best interest of the child".
Our goals are ambitious and we understand it will take a substantial amount of time and money to accomplish. We know it will be difficult and there will be obstacles to overcome. We are highly motivated, for the sake of our children and grandchildren. We hope to have your support.
