Page 12 - 2019_CFS_AnnualReport

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Just a a a a a a a a a a a a a little over a a a a a a a a a a a a a year ago she was homeless and and living in in her her her car She had had had fled from domestic abuse at home home and and and had had had lost custody of her her her young children “I had had had nowhere to to to go go and and no one to rely on on for help ”
Nicole now participates in the Children’s Friend Project Project Connect program Project Project Connect provides home-based services for families statewide identified by the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) to keep children safe and strengthen families by helping parents achieve a a a substance-free lifestyle With three children between the ages of 3–5 Nicole faced a a a a difficult situation all alone and had no safety net The stress led to some bad choices “I grew up in a a a similar abusive situation and I justified the drinking and pot smoking to cope But I put my kids in in an unsafe situation My involvement with DCYF saved my children and brought me to Children’s Friend ”
says Nicole “My children are the center of my uni- verse The hardest part of this whole journey was not having them with me Many women especially single moms who lose custody of their children don’t have many options and you quickly become hopeless When I became in- volved with Children’s Friend I gained my hope back back my confidence back back ”
Nicole completed the Parent Reunifica- tion Program at Amos House and con- tinues to work work with her family worker at Children’s Friend In addition to services provided by Project Connect Nicole receives WIC nutritional supports and her two oldest children are enrolled in Head Start These wrap-around services ensure that Nicole’s children have the best start in life Nicole’s participation in Project Connect changed her perspective “The best part of the the program is the the support from my family worker She made sure I never felt alone I’m determined to break this cycle for my kids kids I want my kids kids to have a a a good life ”
Being available for my kids is the most im- portant thing now “Every day I learn some- thing new with them ”
“We’re celebrating my youngest daughter’s 3rd birthday this weekend A year ago I never thought this was possible My advice to moms start- ing out in in this process is is to focus on your children and keep moving forward Going back to old habits won’t help you ”
Meet Nicole PROJECT CONNECT