Our Back2Back Linares site in Mexico is undergoing a makeover. It has been home to Possibilities House, a residential children’s home for up to 12 kids and their caregivers over the last nine years. Staff at the home have welcomed families, witnessed first generation graduations, facilitated space and care for healing, and in this new season, they are growing! The land the children call home is Back2Back’s ninth site in Linares. Ground recently broke on-site for new construction and building, and the growing staff team is investing intentionally to open doors for new programming.
The Strong Families and Foster Care programs are flourishing in Monterrey and will be the first two focuses for the Linares site. A unique approach to Strong Families has already begun at the children’s home with those who live there full-time.
“Most of the kids have contact and visits with their biological families,” explained Lisa Bursey, Back2Back Linares Co-Director. “We know relationships bring healing and that in many cases, the families need as much care and space for healing as their children. We want to help provide that.”
On Wednesdays, biological families are welcome at the home for longer visits. The chief vision for this time is to break down the walls of comparison and competition between biological families and house parents.
For many of the children Back2Back serves globally, they are in partnering homes and programming in order to receive increased access to educational opportunities and physical care. Parents see what they are able to offer their children and understand with assistance, their kids can achieve, and receive, much more. In most cases, parents simply want more for their children than they can provide on their own. But when children are being cared for full-time by other adults, guilt, comparison, and feelings of unworthiness rise to the surface, creating tension between bio families and the full time caregivers who are with their children daily.
“It is a designated time for all the adults in the lives of the kids to see each other as partners, not adversaries,” explained Lisa. “We encourage the house parents to go to some of the visits with the children, to ask questions of their families, share updates about the kids, and truly get to know them. The quicker they can connect, the sooner walls and assumptions can fall away.”
In addition to every Wednesday, the families are included in special holiday festivities. Last year for Christmas, families were asked to bring an ornament to put on a small tree in the home, and everyone decorated the tree together, then enjoyed a meal. Family photos were taken by one of the biological parents and when she returned the following week, she’d printed and framed them for the others.
This togetherness helps every child see they are being cared for by a team of safe, loving adults, and it validates the parents on their role in the lives of their children. Together, through family visits and a co-parenting attitude, children and adults alike are finding healing.
Please join Back2Back in prayer that construction and the campus growth go smoothly, that children continue to see the adults in their lives taking steps towards healing, and that together, families and caregivers better understand the value in ensuring every child is known & loved.