Healthy Families Durham Builds a Mother’s Skills and Confidence
Sandra was 20 years old when her son Josiah was born. But, rather than feeling the joy of a new life in her arms, she felt vulnerable and alone. The people she thought she would be able to count on after her son’s birth had left her on her own.
“I was scared,” she says. “I didn’t have any support, and I didn’t know how to care for my baby.”
Based on these risk factors, Sandra was referred to Healthy Families Durham, one of three home visitation programs at CCFH. After an initial evaluation, she and Josiah began receiving weekly visits from family support worker Agatha Schutte.
“Agatha helped me find things I didn’t have like baby clothes and a crib,” says Sandra. “And she taught me things like tummy time and how to develop Josiah’s motor skills.”
Agatha also conducted a screening every six months to make sure Josiah was healthy and developing appropriately. At 18 months, she found concerns with verbalization, which she addressed by teaching Sandra stimulating and fun activities to promote his language skills.
Agatha also spent time focusing on Sandra’s health and well-being. Together, they set goals to improve her household stability and her self-esteem, and Sandra soon completed a Certified Nursing Assistant program and found a job.
“The outcomes seem very simple – just normal, healthy development for Josiah and parental well-being for Sandra,” says Karen Carmody, Director of Early Childhood Prevention Programs. “But in families experiencing toxic stress, these things are powerful for preventing long-term problems and increasing a child’s chance for a healthy future.
Today, Josiah has a brother, and Sandra feels much more confident as a mother. “The most important thing I learned from Agatha,” says Sandra, “is to enjoy my children.” And that is certainly a sign of a healthy family.