With Action for Children’s support for parents, educators, and child care providers, children receive everything they need to thrive. This is the true magic of our mission. But don’t take it from us… take it from Abigail, Nikki and Nicholas, Nante, and Christopher.
Action for Children’s Child Development Associates (CDA) program has opened the door to success and newfound confidence for Abigail, a preschool teacher at Bethel United Methodist Church Childcare. The attention of instructors who balanced motivation and expertise with humility and professionalism led her to learn more about her foundation of early child care. The CDA coaching also bridged the coursework and the classroom, while the portfolio coaching provided her a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment in her work. “I loved my CDA Coach,” Abigail shared. “He brought out of me new eyes that detoured away from judgement and allowed me to step out of myself and to see the development rhythm of each child in my classroom. Completing my portfolio has also allowed me to see my own level of development through the competency statements, resource collection and my philosophy statement. I enjoy reading my work over and over again!”
Nikki and Nicholas knew they wanted children, but also knew they couldn’t have any of their own. In their first meeting with Jenny, a Family and Community Support Specialist at Action for Children, Nikki and her husband were surprised by how many roads there were to adoption. “We thought it was very cut and dry, but it is not!” Nikki shared. After learning about the initial hiccups the couple experienced with the placement agency, Jenny immediately began building bridges for open communication with the couple’s chosen agency, speeding up the process and encouraging the couple to stay the course. Since that initial meeting, the support that they’ve received from Action for Children has motivated them to keep going. “Get somebody on your side like Action for Children,” Nikki shared. “It’s a very overwhelming process and there are times where you will feel alone. We know that Action for Children will continue to be in our corner to listen to us and support us, and that has been a big help.”
“I’ve been a provider for less than a year and have had a great experience working with my Village coach, Anicia. She’s very respectful, kind, and patient. She helped me a lot through the process, and I’m thankful for her and the village. I wouldn’t be able to do it without them. They provide all the tools that I needed for my business, and I am very grateful!”
For Christopher, the comprehensive case management, opportunities to bond with other fathers, and barrier removal he’s received through FatherUp at Action for Children has been truly empowering. “Going through FatherUp with other men like myself helped me to realize that I was not alone and that other fathers were struggling with some of the same issues, such as not knowing exactly how to approach their children on certain subjects and express to them true love instead of just being a financial supporter,” he shared. Since joining FatherUp, Christopher has learned ways to improve his relationships with his children and younger family members by focusing on quality time and breaking down barriers to communication. After his time in FatherUp, Christopher realized that he still needed support around recovery and sobriety. Through FatherUp’s partnership with Alvis House, he has been able to continue his healing journey within fatherhood, and celebrated his graduation from the Alvis House EDGE program with three of his FatherUp mates in December 2023!
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