When four-year-old Chloe Ramsey loses her mother to a drug overdose, her aunt and uncle immediately step in to adopt her. Tamara and Darryl have been fighting for custody of Chloe for years, and while they’re devastated by her mother’s death, they are thrilled to finally give Chloe the love and security she deserves. But years of neglect have taken their toll: Chloe is hyperactive and distractible, and—most troubling of all—she can’t seem to tell the difference between her new parents and any other adult she encounters. She is indiscriminately friendly and trusting, often wandering away from Tamara and Darryl and becoming quickly attached to strangers. Eventually, Chloe is diagnosed with disinhibited social engagement disorder and begins therapy with a licensed child and adolescent psychologist. But as her behavior escalates, putting her in danger, Tamara and Darryl are forced to admit that their daughter might need additional help—in the form of psychotropic medication. Based on dozens of intensive interviews with parents and clinicians, Can I Go Home with You? is the story of two parents desperately trying to help their child, and of a child finally learning who is safe to love.
