Success Stories
| Escaping Abuse The first visit to this CPS referral involved a Hughson Family Resource Center (HFRC) Case Manager, a CPS worker, and a county sheriff deputy. It was a domestic violence referral and the CPS worker didn’t think it was safe for us to go alone to the house without police protection. It involved a family of six with four small children. During the visit, the whole family was present. The husband was doing all the talking and the wife was scared. The CPS worker got the couple to admit that the husband physically abused her at least once. Both agency staff talked to the mom about Haven’s Women Center. She was told about our services. She was very quiet and listened. We told her we would keep in contact. The next week the CPS worker called our center to let us know that the wife was at the Haven’s shelter. Our staff called her and said she was doing fine and she would call us when she was out of the shelter. About three weeks later she called the center and said that she was back home. She had a restraining order against her husband until they go to court. Our staff set up an appointment with her to do an assessment at her home. We started counseling with her children. She has been very strong and has followed through; her husband is now in jail. We are providing counseling services to her two oldest children as well as parenting classes for the mom. She is still seeing a counselor through Haven Women’s Center. |
Husband I Have Always Wanted
The wife was very excited to learn new parenting skills but the father, having been tricked, murmured during the first class. He thought his parenting techniques were fine. He was very apprehensive and negative but the instructor allowed him time to vent his frustrations and his opinions. The father was offered some new ways to discipline that he could try. It was his option to see which way was more comfortable for his family. The couple came for each weekly class and the husband was trying many of the suggestions from the instructor. They seemed very happy and relaxed by session 4. They both expressed how their home had become more peaceful and the children were following family rules. By the end of the 6 weeks, the husband thanked the instructor because he now saw what he was doing to his family by being an authoritative and demanding parent and spouse. He credits his success to the Parenting Classes. At this point he got down on his knee and proposed to his wife and offered to renew their vows as he was a changed man. He offered a ring as proof of his change of heart in front of the group. She cried and stated “you are now the man, father and husband I have always wanted for a mate and father for our children”. |
|
"Santa doesn’t know where we live”
We can’t tell you about all of the children and families who were supported by the Hughson Christmas Basket Project but we’d like to tell you about three children. Their ages are 10, 9 and 7 – two girls and a boy. They have recently been placed in foster care because of abandonment and neglect. Christmas is new to them because they have never celebrated Christmas. They have always been told in the past, “Santa isn’t coming because Santa doesn’t know where we live.” This year the children will be enjoying their first Christmas. These children are getting presents because of your efforts. Santa now knows where they live. |
|
