Strengthening a Family

The first step is the hardest. Missy spent months gaining the emotional and mental strength to take the first step out of an unhealthy relationship. She was living with her boyfriend, also the father of their young daughter, Keisha, in a rundown apartment. Missy dedicated her time to creating a safe environment for Keisha but it was often corrupted with her boyfriend’s drug use. Before she got up the courage to leave, Keisha was taken away from her by the Division of Youth and Family Services. Missy didn’t know how or when she would see her daughter again.

Losing Keisha to the foster care system pushed Missy to take action. She left her boyfriend, becoming homeless but eventually finding a shelter Essex in County. With the help of a DYFS worker, Missy kept working towards reuniting with her baby. It was through her dedication that she found Center For Family Services Mother/Child Residential, the program that would lead her back to Keisha.  

It wasn’t long before Missy became a model resident at Mother/Child. She happily attended daily group educational classes that focused on parenting skills, finding employment and housing, and building self-sufficiency. She worked tirelessly with her case manager to finally secure permanent housing and two employment opportunities. She eventually accepted a full-time position that would provide benefits for her and Keisha; a goal she never thought was attainable.

After just two and half months of moving into Mother/Child , Missy was working hard at her new job, had found her own apartment, coordinated childcare for Keisha, and completed her nurses’ aid certification. She was a lifetime away from the unhealthy lifestyle she was living with her boyfriend and back to providing for her daughter.

*Due to client confidentiality, the image on this page is a stock photo.