Carmen Lydia Caban regains custody of her 15-year-old son after losing him to foster care eight years earlier due to drug abuse. But the son is angry after all those years in care, and the two struggle to readjust and establish a stable relationship.

Prompts for discussion and/or writing:

--Carmen’s son is angry at her for letting him down—her drug abuse caused him to grow up in foster care. What kinds of feelings do you have toward your biological parents? Do you ever think you’ll be able to resolve them someday? Why or why not?

--Carmen said her son “didn’t know what to do with all those feelings.” If you were the family’s social worker, how would you have helped Carmen’s son express his feelings in a more positive way?

--What do you think of Carmen’s decision to return her son to foster care? If you were in her shoes, what would you have done? Why?

--What would have to happen for Carmen and her son to establish a healthier relationship, with less anger and conflict? How would the son have to change? How would Carmen have to change?

--If you were Carmen’s son, what would have to happen in order for you to forgive your mother?