Amy and Jess only agree on one thing — their love for their three-year-old son Luke. As a working poor family, finances are tight. And because of Amy’s numerous relationships, she and Jess now live apart.

Amy tries her best to meet Luke’s needs, but intellectual disabilities cause her to make poor decisions. Because of her transient lifestyle, she drags Luke from relationship to relationship. From house to house. There is no constant male role model for him to pattern. He also has no contact with his grandparents, aunts, or uncles. And there are no teachers who look out for him either.

Jess tries to be there for Luke, too, but mental health issues make him overly paranoid and distrustful of authority figures. He is known for his threatening behavior and his temper tantrums during custody exchanges.

Luke is living in a chaotic and isolated world – a dangerous place for a toddler.

This all changed when the judge asked The Shortest Line to fund a psychological evaluation during Amy and Jess’ custody case.

This evaluation helped them get help to work through their own struggles. Counseling helped Jess look at life in a less threatening way. Amy learned how to make better choices for herself and Luke.

They also benefitted from co-parenting classes and visitation schedules so family visits were enjoyable for Luke. Relationships with key family members and teachers were also reconnected and strengthened.

Most of all, Amy and Jess developed the courage to work hard to create a stable and safe family environment for Luke. Today, he remains in the custody of his loving parents.