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Being the Best Parent Possible
Having a child brings plenty of excitement and joy into a family but also feelings of uncertainty and concern for how to care for the child. To help these parents with child-rearing knowledge and support, Children’s Bureau offers a program called, NuParent. This admired parent education course is offered at Children’s Bureau and other organizations trained to implement the program. Parents from the last trimester of pregnancy and those with newborns, infants, toddlers and preschoolers learn the developmental milestones and specific needs of their children in a unique forum that also encourages discussion and sharing of experiences. Parents are so supportive of each other that oftentimes they form NuParent Clubs so they can continue to meet after they graduate from the program. Parents are also known to return to the program upon learning that they are expecting another child! To hear how NuParent helped three moms with different life situations, click here. To learn more about NuParent click here.
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Meet Evelyn Reyes — "My second home is Children's Bureau"
Evelyn Reyes is well known around Children's Bureau's Oakwood Family Resource Center in Los Angeles, and, with a big smile, says that the Center is her second home. Before finding Children's Bureau five years ago, however, Evelyn was feeling isolated and was suffering due to the problems she was experiencing with her son, Diego, who was five years old at the time. [More]
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Meet Santana Hernandez --- "I Didn't Know Help Existed for Fathers"
Santana Hernandez had to face a harsh reality that he was going to be raising his two children alone. He and his wife had marital problems that resulted in a domestic violence situation. He had to protect his children and now has temporary custody of them. Life for Santana has not been easy as he is a construction worker who is struggling financially. His children were also beginning to act out and he was challenged with how to handle the situation. Santana was referred to Corbin Family Resource Center in Santa Ana through social services and began work with a Children's Bureau family advocate. Santana says the family advocate helped to guide him and his children through some difficult times. They participated in family therapy and Santana is currently working with an in-home parent educator who is teaching parenting skills. Santana once felt alone and thought these type of services were for mothers only, not fathers. He now realizes that anyone can take advantage of the support offered by Children's Bureau and encourages those who need help to call. Click to hear more about how Santana is making it on his own as a parent.
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Meet Richard and Melanie --- "Our Experience with Children’s Bureau Has Been Life Changing"
Los Angeles residents Richard and Melanie Harris were thrilled with the birth of their daughter, Miracle, but were feeling isolated and unsure as to how to raise the baby. With no relatives nearby — Richard’s family lives in New York and Melanie is from England — the couple was eager to find a place to take Miracle to get the information and social support they desired. Melanie spent four months trying to find a program that she could access via public transportation and that fit within their budget. In the summer of 2009, Melanie enrolled in the NuParent Infant Program at Children’s Bureau’s Oakwood Family Resource Center and found just what she was looking for and more. [More]
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Meet Bettwati and Iketut --- "Our family life has changed thanks to NuParent"
Bettawati Mastirto and her husband, Iketut Mardika, are the proud parents of two very active children — Niluh, age 4 ½ and Joey, age 3. As older parents, they felt like they should have known what to expect in raising their children but soon found the experience challenging and overwhelming. The family lives near the Magnolia Place Family Center and discovered a flyer for the NuParent program.
Both parents signed up for a session in early 2009 where they learned vital child-rearing skills and bonding techniques with their children. They also discovered a social support group with the other parents and began attending NuParent Club meetings. Bettawati and Iketut found the information so valuable that they took a second NuParent session in October 2009. They both agree that their family life has positively changed because of what they learned in NuParent and recommend the program to all families with young children.
To hear how NuParent gave Bettwati and Iketut the skills needed to raise their two young children successfully, click here.
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Francisco and Cristina Gain Confidence with Newborn Thanks to Health Access Program
Teenage parents Francisco and Cristina were excited about the birth of their newborn daughter but were unsure as to how to care for her. While in the hospital, the couple was referred to Children's Bureau's Health Access Program in Orange County which provides free health education and in-home support services for pregnant women and young families. They took advantage of the offer and began with home visits by Dolores Vega, a promotora with Children's Bureau. [More]
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Olivia's Story
As a child, Olivia witnessed a lot of domestic violence between her mother and father. Her father left the family when she was very young but his actions made a huge impact on her. Olivia knew that she didn’t want her children growing up in an abusive home but felt trapped by the demands of her ex husband. A custody battle involving their two boys, ages 6 and 5, was stressful for Olivia and the well-being of her children. Olivia was wrongly accused of domestic violence, child neglect and was even incarcerated for a brief time. She felt hopeless and alone. [More]
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Toni's Story
Meet Toni Garczynski, a mother of four young children who received services from Children’s Bureau’s Bridges for Newborns program in Orange County. She is the primary caregiver for the children as her husband works full time with varying shifts. Toni is originally from Ohio and moving to her new home brought about feelings of isolation, anger and stress. [More]
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Juan's Story
Juan Guzman signed up for the financial literacy course with his wife and says that what he learned has changed his life. He found the lesson about credit and credit repair interesting and signed up for a credit report. Juan also learned important budgeting skills. [More]
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Vanessa's Story
When Vanessa moved to the United States with her husband and three-year-old son, she had no idea how difficult and stressful the transition would be on her mentally. Vanessa spoke only Spanish and did not know how to read or write. She felt isolated and became severely depressed. [More]
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Robin's Story
Robin Armstrong is a single mother of eight children. Six of the children are her own (ranging in age from 12 to 27) while the youngest two girls, Domeka and Doneka, are her nieces. The twin girls were headed into foster care because their father went to prison and their mother was abusing drugs and having a hard time quitting the addiction. [More]
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Sarah and Joaquin's Story
Sarah had always wanted to adopt but wasn’t sure she could as she was single. One day she saw a Children’s Bureau billboard and decided to call. Sarah attended an information meeting and liked what she heard. She immediately signed up and began the qualification process. [More]
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Meet Marissa --- "My Life is Back on Track Thanks to Children's Bureau"
When Marissa was expecting her second child, Annalisa, she knew this time around that she wanted to be a better mom. Marissa was a struggling teenage mom when she had her now five-year-old son. She was in and out of jail, addicted to drugs and seemed to have no direction. Marissa was referred to a Christian women’s home that changed her life, including meeting her husband at church. When Annalisa was born, Marissa, had a difficult time with breast feeding and felt frustrated. She was given information about various programs in the hospital and her grandmother encouraged her to call.
Marissa was referred to and accepted help from the Bridges for Newborns program in Orange County, an in-home parent education program. Family Support Counselor Ashli Brown gave Marissa the information and guidance she needed to continue with breast feeding. Marissa also learned about her daughter’s milestones and nutrition needs. She says that she can’t imagine raising her daughter on her own and is grateful for the support she has from her family and places like Children’s Bureau. Marissa’s life is back on track and she is currently attending school to become a drug and alcohol counselor.
To hear how Marissa gained confidence as a mother, click here.
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Meet Angela --- "Family Support Services Improved My Parenting"
Angela was in desperate need of counseling and community resources to help with her domestic violence situation. She wanted to protect herself and her three young children — Brayan, Jasmin and Ashley — but felt alone, helpless and unsure as to what to do. She came to Children’s Bureau through a referral from the Department of Children and Family Services and voluntarily accepted family support services through our Partnerships For Families program in Antelope Valley. Since her participation in the program, Angela has learned how to keep her family safe by using the court system. She now has a custody and visitation order that safeguards and benefits her children. But her journey didn’t end there. The legal issues were affecting Angela’s relationship with her children. Angela worked with Children’s Bureau Family Support Counselor Ruth Martinez-Sosa and made significant progress in meeting goals such as learning about child development, being more consistent with disciplining her children and communicating more with her children through planned interactions. She is especially proud of the improved relationship with Brayan as he has made great strides in following directions and talking with her when he has a question or concern. Angela now recognizes that it’s OK to ask for help or get training on how to parent your children, because as parents, we sometimes don’t have the answers. Angela’s confidence has soared and she plans to take more parenting classes at Children’s Bureau. To hear how family support services improved Angela’s life and parenting skills, click here.
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Meet Adoptive Parents Ritchie and Joy
Joy and Ritchie were ready to grow their family through adoption and were introduced to Children’s Bureau through a client where Joy works. The couple researched the agency and felt comfortable to begin the certification process. During a meeting with their adoption matcher, Joy and Ritchie met 2-year-old twin boys, Joey and Jonathan. In an unusual circumstance, the couple was then asked if they could take the boys home with them that day! They said yes and began the steps necessary to adopt the boys. Six months later, Joy and Ritchie met the boys’ half sister, Jenna, age 10, who was in a foster home. They were asked if they could adopt her as well, and, happily, they said yes.
“Joy and Ritchie came to us wanting one child at a time and received three children in a very short period of time. They always had the children’s best interest in mind, no matter how challenging the situation. They quickly became dedicated, loving parents to these children who needed a stable, nurturing home,” said Children’s Bureau Foster Adoption Social Worker Laura Siegelman.
Joy and Ritchie say that opening their home to these three vibrant, active children has been a blessing and now their family is complete. They have deeply appreciated the encouragement, support and information Children’s Bureau has provided and recommend anyone interested in adoption to call the agency. Their children will tell you the same. To hear more from Joy and Ritchie, click here.
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Meet Josefina Mora --- "Parents Shouldn't Be Afraid to Ask for Help"
Josefina is a single mother of two young boys and is also the mother of two grown children who are professionals in Mexico. Josefina was referred to a Children's Bureau Advocate at Corbin Family Resource Center as she was the victim of domestic violence by her husband. He is currently in jail because their 8-year-old son witnessed the violent behavior. Josefina felt insecure and suffered from low self-esteem. The family was also struggling financially as the father brought home the only income. The family advocate connected Josefina and the boys to numerous services including counseling, in-home parent education, a personal empowerment program, mentoring program and parent-child interactive therapy. Josefina says that the programs have totally changed their lives and that they are a happy family again. [More]
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Jackie Chirakian's Story
Jackie Chirakian wanted to do something positive with her life. She worked in banking and as a medical assistance but wasn’t inspired or motivated by these jobs. A friend urged her to enroll in the promotora program at Children’s Bureau’s Oakwood Family Resource Center. Jackie enjoyed learning about healthy lifestyle skills and how to promote that in her community. The promotora program also nurtured Jackie’s self-esteem, leadership and presentation skills. Today, she enjoys organizing health-related workshops and events for Children’s Bureau and as an employee of a local clinic. Jackie also encourages parents to take advantage of the many services Children’s Bureau has to offer. She is a role model in the community and inspires others with her enthusiasm and can do attitude. Thanks to Children’s Bureau, Jackie is now confident about her future and joyful that she can help others to be successful. To hear more about Jackie’s experience, click here.
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