Travis is a delightful 11–year–old boy who came to live with us at the beginning of the 2004-2005 school year. He has been in the foster care system for a little over a year. Prior to placement into foster care, Travis lived with his mother and little brother in a very rural area of northeastern Wisconsin. Travis is in the sixth grade. Before coming to live with us, Travis was in an alternative school setting where he attended school on a half–day basis. Behavior has always been an issue for Travis, and he continues to struggle with his emotional control both at home and in school.

Since Travis has come to live with us, our lives have been greatly enriched. He is now proud of himself and his accomplishments. He is on the “A” honor role in school and has participated in many school positive consequence activities due to his greatly improved behavior. He gets up in the morning and is happy to go to school, something even Travis himself is surprised to admit. Travis enjoys many aspects of life on the farm. He enjoys riding the horses, taking riding lessons, and is looking forward to going to horse shows this summer. He has developed a competitive spirit that will aid to take him along way in life. He is also looking forward to all the mares having their babies, and the herd of beef cows calving. He enjoys the dogs and cats and has a favorite cat. She sleeps with him every night.

Travis is a young man that is benefiting tremendously from foster care placement. He needs to live in an environment that is structured and provides a challenging atmosphere. He needs to know where the boundaries are and is beginning to learn that consequences are a part of life…both good and bad. Travis is becoming more confident in himself, realizing the importance of honesty and striving to improve daily! WE ARE VERY PROUD OF HIM…but more importantly…HE IS PROUD OF HIMSELF!