Turning Fear into Courage

The last year was more than Christina could manage.  A single parent working long shifts, she tried her best for her 3-year-old daughter, Brandy. However, everyday pressures created overwhelming stress for both parent and child. With no family support system in place, Christina felt alone and scared by the thought of not being able to make ends meet. She didn’t realize her anxiety was passed on to Brandy.

Preschool teachers soon noticed several behaviors from Brandy that were concerning.  Brandy began acting out, throwing furniture, and, in one scary moment, she ran away from her childcare provider! Both Christina and the teachers thought they were doing something wrong. Recognizing that Brandy’s behavior was signaling something bigger, Christina’s childcare provider reached out to Thornwell’s Building Families Program.

Fortunately, because YOU believe all families should have the tools they need to thrive, you ensured help was available for Christina and Brandy! When you stepped in, you made sure this family had what they needed to build strong, healthy bonds and keep them together. That is the power of this important prevention work and YOU made it possible!

Within a week, Christina and Brandy met with a Thornwell family specialist, a masters level therapist who helped them with a personalized plan to support positive, healthy communication and growth! Together, they worked through Brandy’s distress and separation anxiety. Christina realized that Brandy was not coping well with some recent big changes, including moving to a new apartment and the separation of her parents. Those transitions brought on feelings that she didn’t know how to express and often caused her to feel unsafe when she was without her mom for long stretches.

Through the Building Families program, Christina fully embraced their personalized plan. She learned how to spend more quality time with her daughter, put a new childcare plan in place, and gave herself quiet time to unwind. As Christina learned to better manage her stress, Brandy learned safe ways to express her overwhelming feelings when apart from her mom. Today, they are both feeling more confident, safe, and capable of handling change.

Friends, YOU help families turn fear into courage and give them renewed confidence to do life together. This prevention work is important to keep families intact. Thank you!