Families Network of Western CT, Inc.

Families Network of Western CT, Inc. strives to lower the risk of child abuse and neglect by empowering parents through education and support services. By helping people become better parents, we are giving children the safe and healthy start that they deserve. We would like to share two success stories to illustrate the importance of our programs and the difference that we are making in peoples' lives.

Samantha is a single mother who is new to the Danbury area. She was referred to our intensive home visitation program by her pediatrician who was concerned that her baby was not gaining weight and could possibly be at risk of failure to thrive.

Our assessment revealed that the mother has very low self-esteem and suffers from anxiety which stems from her being abused as a child. In addition, she just removed herself from an abusive relationship with her child's father. On numerous occasions, she was on the verge of going back to him despite the abuse. With the support that she received from a Families Network family support worker and through other resources that we were able to help her access, she has successfully filed for a restraining order and has maintained residence apart from him for almost a year. Her maternal bond with her child has strengthened and they have a bright future ahead of them.

Mary is a young teen mother who lives with her boyfriend and child. In addition to attending school and taking care of her child, she works two jobs in an effort to support her family. She did not grow up in a very nurturing environment, and in fact, until recently was in an abusive relationship. Once she had her baby, she decided that she needed to take responsibility for herself and her child.

Despite her dedication, she was often very tired and impatient with her child. During the parent-child interaction portion of our nurturing parenting group, she would yell at her child when she was fussy. Towards the completion of the program, she was noticeably calmer with her child. When her daughter became fussy, she picked her up and held her closely asking her what was wrong. During one of the group meetings, she cried because her daughter began doing something that she wasn't even aware that her child was capable of. Her face was full of pride and hope.