Air date: 2/2/86

Henry shrugs it off when Punky sees fire trucks racing down the street outside the apartment building, and then Henry gets a call that tells him why the fire trucks have been sent out - his photography studio, his only source of money, is on fire. Henry and Punky rush to the studio, and they are told that the fire department thinks that the fire was started by a short circuit in the building's aging wiring. It's heartbreaking for Henry, who has been a photographer for more than 40 years and has owned the studio for more than 30 years. When Henry first opened the studio in 1952, he took out a fire insurance policy on it, but he never increased the coverage, even though he meant to in the early 1970s, but he thought it seemed too expensive to do it at the time. Henry worries that without a source of money, he won't be able to pay his bills. Henry worries so much that he collapses in pain, and is taken to Cook County Hospital, which is not the hospital where Betty works as a registered nurse. Henry is diagnosed as having a bleeding ulcer caused by the worrying. While Betty and Cherie are helping Punky pack her things so she can stay in Betty and Cherie's apartment while Henry is in the hospital, DCFS case worker Simon P. Chillings drops by, and tells Punky that Henry wants to adopt her so she can always live with Henry. Punky loves that idea, and she tells Chillings that Henry is in the hospital, not knowing how big a mistake it was to tell that to Chillings. It later turns out that Chillings is a heartless caseworker whose last name fits him. Chillings visits Henry at the hospital, and after questioning Henry, Chillings decides that Henry can no longer take care of Punky, so Chillings removes Punky from Henry's custody, which devastates Henry even more than he's already been devastated. When Punky arrives at the hospital to visit Henry, and sees Chillings in the room with Henry, Punky is overjoyed, thinking that Henry has already adopted her.

Changes – Part 2

Air date: 2/9/86

Punky is sent out the room for a couple of minutes while Henry, Betty, and Chillings finish talking. Betty suggests that Punky could stay with her and Cherie until Henry gets out of the hospital, and Henry thinks that's a good idea, but Chillings says that Punky will still have to be in Fenster while he sees if Betty qualifies as a temporary custodian. Punky is devastated when Henry tells her that she'll be going to Fenster Hall because Chillings has removed her from Henry's custody. Chillings takes Punky to Fenster Hall. After checking Betty’s apartment, Chillings cruelly won't let Punky temporarily stay with Cherie and Betty while Henry is in the hospital, just because Punky wouldn't have her own bedroom in Betty's apartment. Betty rightfully doesn't understand that rule, which means that Punky is not allowed to temporarily share a room with her best friend Cherie at Betty's apartment, but Punky has to share a room at Fenster Hall with four girls that she doesn't even know. Later, at Fenster Hall, Punky traps Chillings in a closet, and escapes. Punky goes to the school, and tells Mike what's going on. Mike, who used to work at Fenster Hall, agrees to help Punky, but he needs to know which case worker is handling Punky's case. Punky tells Mike that it's Chillings, who took over after Mike left Fenster Hall to become a teacher. While talking to Mike, Chillings announces his intention to place Punky in a different foster home at the slightest sign of Henry being unable to recover financially or physically. Mike takes Punky to a phone in Fenster Hall, and Punky calls Henry...but while Punky is on the phone with Henry, Henry's ulcer has a major flare-up, and he collapses.

Changes – Part 3

Air date: 2/16/86

Henry has undergone emergency surgery after his collapse. At Fenster Hall, Mike brings Cherie, Margaux, and Allen to visit Punky. Chillings is not convinced by the reports from Punky and Henry's initial assessment that Henry can recover and take care of Punky, and he's still set on placing Punky with different foster parents. To that end, he won't even allow Punky to see Henry in the hospital. Cherie, Margaux, and Allen have a plan to help Punky sneak out so she can visit Henry at the hospital. They get help from Punky's roommates Liz, Anna, Millie, and Weezie. They disguise Punky as Margaux and disguise Margaux as Punky, and to make the plan work, they make sure Chillings can't wear his glasses. Mike goes along with the plan and takes Punky to visit Henry, who is unconscious. While Punky is in Henry's room, Punky overhears Mike telling Betty that Punky may not be coming back home to Henry, because Chillings wants to put her with new foster parents. Betty tells Mike that in his condition, Henry doesn't need another argument with Chillings. Punky, blaming herself, apologizes to a sleeping Henry for putting him where he is. At Fenster Hall, Chillings performs a Rorschach inkblot test on Margaux, thinking that she's Punky. There are ten official inkblots. Five inkblots are black ink on white paper. Two are black and red ink on white paper. Three are multicolored. Sometime after Punky's visit to the hospital, when Henry wakes up, there is a note from Punky, and the note tells Henry what Punky overheard Mike say to Betty, and Punky thinks it's her fault that Henry collapsed, because Henry was worried about how to regain custody of Punky. After reading Punky's note, Henry starts crying.

Changes – Part 4

Air date: 2/23/86

Based on the results of the Rorschach inkblot test, Chillings places Punky with wealthy Tiffany Buckworth her husband Jules Buckworth. The only reason why Tiffany wants a child is to help her own social popularity. Henry spends much of the day trying to call Chillings. When Henry finally does get Chillings on the phone, Chillings tells Henry that Punky has been placed with new foster parents. Tiffany and Jules live in a large mansion with a butler named Cuthbert. Punky doesn't like being with the Buckworths, because she wants to be with Henry. While Jules is a kindly man who is always good to Punky, Tiffany is snobby and mean. Two weeks go by, and Henry is released from the hospital, but he's having a very difficult time adjusting to life on his own. Punky goes to the apartment to visit Henry. When Punky tells Henry that she wants to return to him, Henry vows to regain custody of her.

Changes – Part 5

Air date: 3/2/86

Henry gets a loan from bank vice president Oliver Greene so Henry can open a new photography studio in the Midtown Mall, and have a source of money so he can regain custody of Punky. Oliver remembers Punky from when she tried to get a loan from Oliver a year ago. Punky is shocked to discover that Tiffany has bought a castle in the French Riviera, and plans for herself, Jules, and Punky to move to the castle. It looks like Jules doesn't have any say in the situation, because Tiffany's word is always final. The plan to move to the French Rivera is put on hold when Tiffany makes an all-too-familiar speech to Punky, causing a fed-up Jules to stand up to Tiffany, refusing to allow Tiffany to bully him or Punky anymore. Jules leaves Tiffany, and he takes Punky back to Henry, who is overjoyed. Sometime later, while Henry and Punky are out getting the adoption paperwork done, Mike is filling in for Henry at the new studio. Before Punky and Henry get back to the studio, Chillings calls the studio to congratulate Punky and Henry. Mike is surprised by what Chillings says - Chillings now feels that he's not fit for his job because he thinks the job needs someone who is more compassionate, and can stand the sight of kids, so Chillings has resigned from the DCFS, and he's now the new man in Tiffany Buckworth's life. After Mike and Chillings hang up, Punky and Henry return to the studio with Betty and Cherie, and they tell Mike that Henry has officially adopted Punky. They all celebrate in the new studio, where they take a lot of memorable pictures.

Accidents Happen

Air date: 3/9/86

At school, Punky makes a presentation about wanting to be an astronaut. Unfortunately, shortly after her inspiring presentation, the Space Shuttle Challenger explodes soon after launch, killing all on board. America is observing national mourning, but Punky is hit especially hard. Mike tries to help his class understand the tragedy - especially Punky, whose dream is to become an astronaut, and because of the explosion, her classmates think she's crazy. Not wanting to see Punky’s dream die, Mike pulls some strings and manages to get famous astronaut Buzz Aldrin to have a talk with Punky about the disaster. He convinces her to go on with her dreams, and makes her a member of the Young Astronauts. Thanks to Buzz, Punky decides to be brave and keep right on going with thoughts of going into space. Henry is embarrassed when Buzz arrives at the apartment to visit Punky, and sees Henry wearing a dress. Henry is wearing the dress because Betty needed a dummy to put the dress on so she could work on the dress.