A Healing Home Changed Luca’s Life
When Sarah* first met little Luca*, he was just a toddler.
They met at a park before he came to live with her family. As he walked towards her, he smiled and said, “Hi Mummy.”
“It stopped me in my tracks,” Sarah recalls. “But from that day on, he called me ‘mum’.”
Soon after, Luca and his siblings came to live with Sarah and her family.
The children were very young. Vulnerable. Carrying experiences no child should have to carry.
The early days were overwhelming.
There were developmental delays, sensory challenges, emotional outbursts and behaviours that often didn’t make sense at first.
Sarah quickly realised this wasn’t about ‘fixing’ behaviour.
It was about helping children feel safe enough to trust.
“You let go of all the usual ideas about parenting,” she says. “We had to meet them where they were – through play, patience, routine and consistency.
“Sometimes progress for him looked like making eye contact. Sometimes it was simply getting through the day without fear.”
The work was relentless.
Therapy appointments. School meetings. Assessments. Advocacy. Endless conversations trying to secure the right support.
“There were days I felt completely exhausted,” Sarah says. “It can test every part of your life – your patience, your relationships, your confidence. People don’t always understand what this journey asks of you unless they’ve lived it.”
At times, the experience felt isolating.
“Some of our friends have moved on because it was difficult. We lost a few friends along the way.”
But despite the challenges, Sarah never stopped showing up – even when progress felt invisible.
Over time, support from schools, therapists, other families and support services became critical.
“It’s important because if we don’t have the support, we don’t have the village,” Sarah explains.
That village helped create stability – and slowly, things began to change for Luca.
The little boy who once struggled to regulate his emotions began finding his voice.
After receiving the right support and care, Sarah started to see major improvements.
The milestones that once felt impossible became reality.
“He learned to read and write,” Sarah says, “and then his confidence just kept growing.”
Today, Luca is 15 years old and confident, charismatic and full of ambition.
“He can talk to absolutely anyone,” Sarah adds. “He’s thoughtful, driven and already dreaming about the future he wants.”
He loves Lego, global studies and imagining where life might take him.
“He even tells me he wants to take me overseas one day,” Sarah laughs.
Most importantly, Luca knows he belongs.
“He knows this is his home,” she says.
“He knows he is loved. He knows he is family.”
For Sarah, that sense of safety and belonging is what Healing Homes are all about.
“Every child deserves to know there is someone in their corner – someone who will keep showing up, no matter how long healing takes.”
At Adopt Change, we believe every child should grow up feeling safe, connected and supported.
Healing Homes are built through stability, practical support, connection and people who continue showing up through the hardest moments.
Your tax-deductible donation can help create Healing Homes for children and young people across Australia.
Just $50 can help support a family caring for children in need.
Just $150 can help provide opportunities that build confidence, connection and joy for a young person.
Together, we can help more children feel safe, supported and hopeful about their future.
*Names and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy.
