10-year-old Seattle boy lived in a tent while his mother battled fentanyl addiction; after an 11-month rescue effort, he entered school for the first time and said, ‘I want to go back’

The boy had been living in difficult conditions and had never experienced school before. (Representational photo. Credit: The Seattle Times)

A 10-year-old boy in Seattle walked into a school for the first time last week after spending much of his childhood living in a tent in a North Seattle park. His first day of school came after an 11-month effort by a local nonprofit, neighbours and others to help him and his mother move out of life on the streets.The boy had been living in the tent with his mother, who was struggling with fentanyl addiction and was being sexually exploited, according to Kristine Moreland, executive director of The More We Love, a Kirkland-based organisation that works with homeless women and children, KRI reported. The boy’s father had also refused offers of housing, food and other services.Moreland said the boy had been living in difficult conditions and had never experienced school before. “This young man has been in fight or flight since the day he was born,” she said. After his first day in the classroom, however, the boy gave the people who had been helping him a simple response. “I want to go back.”His journey towards school began in October last year, when Moreland and her team first visited the tent where the boy was living. At the time, he was alone in the tent. The situation had already drawn the attention of neighbours, who had repeatedly contacted the Seattle Police Department and Child Protective Services.

Neighbours kept raising concerns

According to Moreland, authorities had determined on several occasions that the boy was not in imminent danger. The nonprofit, however, continued visiting the tent and trying to help the family.“Everybody kept saying the same thing: He is ok. He is safe,” Moreland said. “We continued to show up at that tent, knowing that that was not the case.”The situation received wider attention in December after KIRO Newsradio reported on the boy. Moreland was recorded offering the family immediate shelter, including a private room that was available that day. The boy’s father rejected the offer. “Not from you,” he told her.The situation changed in the early hours of New Year’s Day. A Seattle police officer called Moreland and told her that the boy and his mother were ready to accept help. The mother entered treatment for active fentanyl addiction, while The More We Love helped connect her with recovery services.The organisation also arranged behavioural health treatment for the boy through Seattle Children’s Hospital. Moreland said her team worked with another mission to find long-term housing for the family. However, that agency was unable to manage the boy’s behavioural challenges and the family was released back to the streets.That did not end the effort to help them. “We said, not a chance. Our case managers have dug in day after day, helping this little man get through this,” Moreland said.

The boy had been living in the tent with his mother, who was struggling with fentanyl addiction

A fresh new start

The boy’s mother remains in recovery, Moreland said. She described that progress as a big deal while also pointing to the difficulties involved in learning to parent while dealing with addiction and trauma.“She has been in the cycle predominantly her whole life,” Moreland said. “We really have to work on her traumas as well.”For the boy, the nonprofit’s work did not stop with getting him into school. Moreland said the boy still faces challenges as he adjusts to a new life, including the possibility of being bullied at school. She said people should not romanticise what comes next simply because he has now reached a classroom.“And what if he was still living in the tent?” Moreland said. “Then where would he be?”

Many families still need help

Moreland said the boy’s situation is not unique. She said she receives calls every day from law enforcement and community partners about women and children living in encampments across the region.The More We Love has also received a $500,000 matching donation from an anonymous donor to support efforts to help women and children living in encampments. Moreland said donations to the organisation through its website would be matched.

The privately funded nonprofit also operates a crisis centre where staff care for infants born exposed to fentanyl. Moreland said the organisation needs volunteers to help comfort and care for the babies.Moreland has worked in outreach in Seattle for nearly 25 years. She said the 10-year-old now has “an army of encouragement behind him” as he begins school and adjusts to a different life. “This is hope to me,” she said. “And reminds me to continue every single day in this work.”