Peace of Mind for Daughter with Autism

After our 10-year-old daughter, Cece, had been hospitalized five times, we moved her into a group home in St. Cloud. Cece has severe autism, does not speak, exhibits self-injurious behaviors, and has a sleep disorder. She requires constant care. At the time, St. Cloud offered the closest facility for a child with these significant special needs.

Being separated from our child was heart-wrenching

Because of the distance between our Twin Cities home and the care facility, we could visit Cece only on weekends. As any parent can imagine, being separated from a child can be heart-wrenching. The anxiety of leaving a child with special needs fully in the hands of others is even more extreme. We were anxious about the distance and the placement. The separation was very difficult for us. We were constantly plagued with doubts about her care, her safety, and her general well-being. On top of that, we missed her. We missed her presence—her soft, beautiful face and her wheat-colored hair. We missed her habit of snuggling. We missed a pleasure that most parents take for granted: kissing our child good night.

A chance for Cece to move closer to home

A year after we moved Cece to St. Cloud, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Hennepin County to find a local care provider. We were one of four families working with the county to find an agency to develop a local group home for children. After visiting homes run by a number of agencies, we were most impressed by one of Fraser’s homes for adults with special needs. The house was attractive and comfortable. More important, the staff was gentle, organized, and cared for the residents with respect and patience. We knew quickly that Fraser was our first choice to care for our daughter.

Cece now lives nearby with three other children at a group home run by Fraser. She receives medical and behavioral care, and her development is encouraged by customized signing and symbol programs. She participates in weekly activities like bowling, dance, art, and her favorite, swimming.

Fraser provides peace of mind for our family

We are so grateful to have found Fraser. In addition to caring for children, Fraser gives parents peace of mind. For our family, peace of mind is counting on the skill that Fraser professionals bring to caring for our daughter. Their around-the-clock attention is so much more than we could provide in our own home. Cece’s doctors have commented that her new environment has helped her with communication, scheduled activities, and involvement in the community.

Close enough to kiss good night

Having our daughter nearby means that we can be together as a family. Cece enjoys many family activities and spending time with her younger sister, Michelle. Thank you, Fraser, for enhancing the quality of our lives in such a significant way. The best result of our involvement with Fraser is that Cece is again close enough to kiss her parents good night.