Help Us Get Clayton the Healing He Deserves

If you know our family, you know this isn’t something we would ask for lightly.

Clayton is our son. He came into our home through foster care after experiencing significant trauma and instability. Like so many children from hard places, his needs go far beyond what most people ever see on the surface. What people don’t see are the sleepless nights, the constant advocacy, the safety planning, and the deep emotional toll of trying to get a child the help they desperately need in a system that too often falls short.

For over a year, we have done everything in our power to support Clayton.

We have utilized:

• Outpatient therapy

• Psychiatric care

• Community-based services

• Respite care

• Wraparound supports

• In-home interventions

We have adjusted our home, our schedules, and our entire lifestyle to meet his needs.

And still—Clayton is not okay.

Multiple professionals who know Clayton well have all come to the same conclusion:

• His outpatient therapist (who has worked with him long-term)

• A psychiatrist

• A mental health hospital team

• Our adoption agency (which employs a therapist familiar with his case)

All have recommended residential treatment as the next necessary step for his safety, healing, and long-term stability.

Unfortunately, despite this overwhelming professional consensus, our local community mental health system (CMH) has declined to support or refer him for this level of care—specifically refusing to consider providers outside of their own system.

Because of that decision, we are left in an impossible position:

Clayton needs care that we cannot access through the systems designed to help families like ours.

⸻

What We Are Doing Now

We have made the incredibly difficult decision to pursue residential treatment for Clayton on our own.

We found a program in Ohio that is equipped to handle his level of need and provide the intensive, trauma-informed care he deserves.

Our insurance will cover a portion of his stay—but not all of it, and not indefinitely.

And the costs don’t stop there.

⸻

The Financial Reality

The treatment center is 348 miles from our home.

Each trip includes:

• Gas and tolls (~$154 per visit)

• 12 hours of travel round-trip

• Meals while on the road

• Ongoing time away from work and responsibilities at home

We plan to visit Clayton regularly because connection matters. Family involvement is critical to successful treatment and long-term healing. He needs to know he is not alone—that he is still deeply loved and supported.

But the reality is:

This level of care and commitment is expensive, and it adds up quickly.

⸻

Why We’re Asking for Help

We have exhausted every resource available to us.

We have advocated.

We have pushed through red tape.

We have paid out of pocket when necessary.

And still, we are here.

Clayton did not choose the trauma he has endured.

He did not choose the gaps in the system.

But he does deserve healing.

He does deserve safety.

He does deserve a real chance at a stable, healthy future.

⸻

How You Can Help

If you feel led, we are asking for help to cover:

• The portion of residential treatment not covered by insurance

• Travel costs for regular visits

• Meals and lodging when needed

• Ongoing support expenses during his care

If you’re not able to give financially, we completely understand. Sharing this page, praying for Clayton, and supporting our family in any way means more than you know.

⸻

From Our Family

Clayton is not just a “case.”

He is a son. A brother. A kid who has been through more than most adults ever will.

We love him fiercely. And we are not giving up on him.

Thank you for standing with us.

—The Markwell Family