Parents as Teachers is an early childhood family support program with a parent education home-visiting model. On top of ensuring that young children are healthy and ready to learn, the home visitors also focus on helping the parents. One our home visitors shared the following story about a mom and child she has been working with for the past 8 months.
“My first visit with J. P. was on December 7th, 2017. I met his mother (G.) and we connected instantly. G., a fairly new wife and mother who had come to the USA on a fiance visa, who was having a hard time adapting to her new role as a mother and wife.
Even though she was thrilled and thankful for what she had, she had fallen into a serious depression. She found herself lost and unable to function well in a life and world so different than the one she had always known. She missed her family, friends, work, church, but most of all, she missed her mother.
Our visits were full of conversation and I spent a lot of the time just listening to her and allowing her to cry all she wanted. Her postpartum depression was evident and her separation anxiety even worst. This topped with adapting to life with a husband she hardly knew and childhood trauma from an abusive alcoholic father.
I quickly spoke to her about the mental health resources available to her through TLC. She started her therapy with Craig on a weekly basis and then moved to bi-weekly visits. She completed her therapy at the end of May. Today she’s the mom and wife I knew she wanted and had the potential to become.
J. P. is meeting every one of his milestones right on mark or above. He’s a happy, adventurous and talkative little one. As of our last visit he was traveling holding on to furniture, walking holding on to mom’s finger and standing on his own attempting to take a step.
G. is now a woman sure of herself who makes being a mother and a wife her most important job. She is also happy to be married to a good man that loves and respects her. She has become active in her church and enjoys playing the guitar for the choir. She has found a new network of friends and family. She’s no longer fearful of speaking up her mind for fear of being hit, which was something she suffered from due to her childhood trauma.
The father is totally engaged in J. P.’s healthy development. He takes time to read to him daily and is in command when it comes to ‘after work play time.’ He’s a hardworking and dedicated husband and father. He now communicates and understands his wife much better, thanks to the tools they’ve learned through G.’s therapy with Craig. He’s also participated in the ‘Money Matters’ Financial Literacy program for which they both will be receiving a certificate at our next Financial Literacy Class.”
Every week we get to serve 600 families like G.’s and J.P.’s. Keep supporting this work by donating today If you are interested in enrolling in one of our programs, fill out a referral form.
*The names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals. All images used are for illustrative purposes.
