Yakir is a seven year old child who has been living at Sanhedria Children’s Home since the spring of 2009. He came to Sanhedria to join his two older brothers, who moved into the house eight years earlier.
Yakir’s father is in jail, and his mother neglected him. Social Services removed him from her custody for a period of time, and then returned him to her on the stipulation that she go to mother and infant services weekly. When Yakir turned six, she lost custody of him altogether and Social Services placed him in Sanhedria, which will be his home for the next 11 years.
Yakir’s exposure to extreme neglect resulted in acute environmental retardation. He did not know what do with a fork or a bar of soap. He did not speak in sentences and lacked social and verbal skills. He was unable to communicate with his peers, which created tremendous frustration. It was also difficult to get through to him because he had no concept of discipline and did not understand many simple words. He had not gone to nursery school or kindergarten—at the age of six, he had the developmental maturity of a two-year-old.
Yakir has a magnificent smile, and when he flashes it, he lights up the room. He has now been at Sanhedria for one year. He is taking baby steps and making strides. He has a lot of catching up to do, and everyday is a challenge for him. I have often seen him deliriously happy, basking in the company of our beautiful volunteers, engaging in arts and crafts projects and board games. He yearns to be in a space better than the one he came from, and Sanhedria’s dedicated professional and therapeutic staff are helping him get there.
To learn more about Sanhedria Children’s Home and their rehabilitative programs for high-risk children, please visit: www.sanhedria.co.il or call (866) 409-5718. ____________ Miriam Braun is the director of program development at Sanhedria.
