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. Moreland has worked in outreach in Seattle for nearly 25 years.
Because he has now reached a classroom, she said people should not romanticise what comes next simply.
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. Moreland said the boy still faces challenges as he adjusts to a new life, including the possibility of being bullied at school. 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.”
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. 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. For the boy, the nonprofit’s work did not stop with getting him into school.
His journey towards school began in October last year, when Moreland and her team first visited the tent where the boy was living.
