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Deidre
When Deidre enrolled in Healthy Families Florida, she was 22 years old and pregnant with her second child. She was using drugs, stealing, and had lost custody of her first child, which led her into a deep depression. Deidre’s home visitor referred her to mental health counseling for her depression, helped her develop parenting and life skills and encouraged her to set goals for herself, such as finding a job and going back to school. Through her relationship with her home visitor, Deidre gained confidence in herself and her parenting abilities and learned to accept personal responsibility for her future and the future of her family. Deidre says one of the most important things she learned as a participant in Healthy Families Florida was that she did not have to be a victim; she could be an asset for herself, for her son and for her community.
When Deidre graduated from the Healthy Families Florida program last October her son Jontavious was four years old and enrolled in preschool. Deidre was working full-time, had earned her driver’s license, bought a car, and moved into her own apartment. Deidre says, "I have regrets, and I sincerely miss my oldest son, who was adopted several years ago. I so often wish I could do it all over again and be the mother to him that I am to Jontavious now. I truly needed a program like Healthy Families back then. Maybe, just maybe, I could have made a change to keep my oldest son."
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