Out of Kate and Jon Gosselin's eight kids, Kate Plus 8 fans tend to be particularly interested
in Collin.
Their curiosity often stems from confusion about his noticeable absence from family events,
and in August 2016, Kate revealed that the young TLC alum no longer lives at home with
his family.
For the most part, the former couple has kept quiet about Collin understandably but here
are some details they've been willing to share over the past few years.
Special needs
When Kate revealed that she enrolled her son, Collin, in a live-in facility near the family's
Pennsylvania home, many fans were left wondering why.
She explained to People magazine,
"Collin has special needs.
[There's] a fairly fluid diagnosis of what those needs are, but he needs to learn certain
strategies to help him deal with things.
This has been a struggle we've had for a very long time."
"I was not able..with my own resources here, to meet his needs."
When pressed further on what Collin's exact diagnosis is, she chose to remain quiet.
Proper care
As fans may have already noticed, Collin has missed a lot of special moments with his siblings.
From holidays to birthdays, it feels like Collin hasn't celebrated a milestone at home
for quite some time.
So when will he rejoin the rest of his family?
Kate admitted to People that she isn't quite sure what the future holds, saying,
"I don't know what the road ahead entails, but I'm very happy with the care that he's
getting.
[...] It comforts me as a mother, because when you, as a mom, can't give your kids what
they need, it is a huge comfort to find people who can."
The good news is: it sounds like Collin is thriving in his new environment.
Kate went on to say that she is happy about the fact that he's, quote, "where he needs
to be right now."
Jon and Kate
It's no secret that Kate and Jon have a tumultuous relationship, and things reached a fever pitch
in November 2016, when Jon alleged that Kate wouldn't tell him where Collin's treatment
facility is located.
"I have an idea where he is but I don't really know."
"I mean, I ask but she doesn't tell me.
She doesn't answer any of my texts."
Kate, who doesn't shy away from telling it like it is, promptly responded to Jon's claims.
"We are both court ordered not to speak about the care and custody of our children in detail."
She went on to say that she's always known where Collin was, but the world doesn't need
to know.
"I'll leave it at that."
Long struggle
Kate has always been vocal about her struggle with Collin.
In fact, she wrote an entire section on her difficulties with Collin in her 2010 memoir,
I Just Want You to Know.
In a passage dedicated to Collin, Kate says:
"At two and a half, you began testing and trying my parenting at every chance.
I called Daddy at work many days crying because you would not obey.
[...] As you have grown, this has not changed.
You continue to be determined to do what you want to do, and I continue to try to rein
you in."
Missing Collin
Sometimes the best decisions are the most difficult ones.
It goes without saying that Collin's seven other siblings miss him, and the toughest
moments often occur during important milestones, such as the sextuplet's 13th birthday in May
2017.
In an episode of Kate Plus 8 that documented the big celebration, Kate opened up about
the family's pain, saying,
"It's a bittersweet moment [and] we've had many of them.
You can't do anything without realizing he's missing.
So we may not say it, but it's always there."
Social media appearance
In May 2018, Jon took to Instagram to post a very rare photo of Collin and Hannah, with
the caption: "Glad I could celebrate my son Collin’s 14th birthday with him and his
sister!"
Needless to say, this rare Collin sighting riled fans into a frenzy, with some users
commenting on how great he looks, and others noting how he looks just like his father.
Regardless of whether or not Collin will make other appearances online anytime soon, it's
nice to see him enjoying quality time with his family.
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