Jaimee enrolled her one-year-old son, Ulrich, in CHSW’s Early Head Start home visiting program in 2010. At the time, she was pregnant with another child, separated from her husband, and homeless.
As an alumna of Head Start herself, she knew the program would give her son and daughter, Aurora, a good start in life.
Early Head Start helps children ages birth to 3 years prepare for kindergarten. The program also provides prenatal care and connects parents to other resources in the community.
For Jaimee, one of the biggest benefits was the referral process to other social services. Thanks to CHSW and these services, Jaimee was able to build a solid foundation for herself and her family.
“I struggled with depression when I was pregnant with my daughter, and CHSW was able to connect me to counseling services,” Jaimee said. She received prenatal care at the local family medical center and dental care for her children. CHSW also wrote a referral to get her family a home through the Housing Authority.
Now, Jaimee has a home and a bachelor’s degree, and works full time.
“CHSW was supportive of me and my family, not just the Early Head Start program, but the whole staff,” she said. “They gave me the boost I needed to get us where we are today.”
Family's road to success