Marie was referred to a Family Preservation Program in early 2018 due to DCFS involvement for domestic violence in the home. The home consisted of Marie and her five children ranging in ages from four months to preteens.
Marie was referred by her DCFS Social Worker to assist her with accessing local resources (e.g. food banks, Calfresh, GAIN, etc) that could help her stabilize her financial situation to continue providing for her children as her husband had been the sole provider for the family, but was removed from the home. Marie was also referred to Family Preservation to assist her with linkage to court-ordered requirements such as a domestic violence support group, parenting classes and individual therapy.
Marie participated in Family Preservation services for six months. Throughout the time the case was open, she was able to secure part-time employment, secure childcare for her children so that she could work and attend court-ordered requirements, obtain Calfresh benefits, and complete the 16-week Nurturing Parenting Program and her individual therapy (with assistance from IHOC).
Marie’s challenges were overcome through seeking support from her social worker as needed, and identifying barriers and solutions to different problems that were related to the case. Since completing the services, Marie’s spent more time with her children, been able to implement more rules and consequences, and has come to understand the different ways she could engage with her children in age appropriate activities.
She’s made it a priority for her children to be safe and to ensure they remain healthy. The older children continued to attend school and her 3 year-old will begin going to school in the Fall. The two youngest children are healthy and crawling around the home.
*In order to protect the anonymity and privacy of our families, names have been changed and photos are randomized.