'Oakland Family Services has everything you need': Family helped by multiple agency programs
Candice and her son, Jasper, work on strengthening his small finger muscles during a Parents as Teachers playgroup. Jasper, who is now 6 years old, spent five years in the program along with his mom.
As a toddler, Jasper did not like being around people he didn’t know. He would cry, throw a tantrum, or hide behind his mother.
But the little boy’s temperament changed after he and his mother began Parents as Teachers, an in-home service that gives parents of children 0-6 years old the information, support and encouragement they need to help their children develop optimally during the first years of life.
Jasper became a much happier child after learning to socialize with other children at the Parents As Teachers’ playgroups, and he was more willing to try new things.
“During those playgroups, I saw Jasper becoming Jasper,” said Candice, Jasper’s mother. “He played freely and explored freely in the safety of my sight, but he did his own thing. That’s when I got to learn a few things about my son. One day after a playgroup, he walked up to a child’s family member he just met that day and hugged him. It was an amazing step he took, and one I will never forget.”
Candice and her son, who is now 6 years old, participated in Parents as Teachers for five years, leaving when Jasper began kindergarten full time in the fall of 2019. The program provides a parent educator who makes home visits and involves families in activities that encourage growth in language, social and emotional development.
“I felt so lost before I got services,” she said. “I thought I had done something wrong when Jasper didn’t sleep. Through Parents as Teachers, I was reassured I did nothing wrong and realized it wasn’t me that was a hot mess. I am now more confident in my abilities to parent my children.”
Jasper is now 6 years old.
Julie Tillman, Parents as Teachers lead parent educator at Oakland Family Services, said Candice is a great advocate for her children.
“She already had some parenting knowledge but having the support and someone to highlight her strengths as a mom helped to build her confidence and ability to use that knowledge,” she said. “Candice is such a caring mother, she wants to do everything she can to ensure her children are happy and healthy, and she was always willing to hear and try new strategies.”
Candice learned about Parents as Teachers through Oakland Family Services’ Early On, a program where Jasper, who was born premature, was receiving help for developmental delays. At the time, he was an infant and unable to roll or hold his head up without support. Candice said she was very impressed with Early On, which provides early intervention services for infants and toddlers, birth to 3 years, with developmental delays or conditions that could lead to a delay.
“It didn’t take much time at all before he was rolling and holding his head up and doing everything he was supposed to be doing,” she recalled. “He tolerated tummy time better. That was a big battle for us. He would scream like I set him on fire.”
Candice’s involvement with Oakland Family Services extends beyond Early On and Parents as Teachers. She and Jasper participated in G.O.A.L.S. (Gain Opportunity to Achieve Lasting Success), a research study that looks at child development and other issues. G.O.A.L.S., which is offered at Oakland Family Services through funding from United Way for Southeastern Michigan, provides community resources, developmental screenings for children and health and nutrition educational opportunities.
Candice’s older daughter also received treatment through the agency’s Specialized Services for Youth program. She was only 5 years old when her father unexpectedly died and had a difficult time dealing with her feelings. By the time her daughter was 10 years old, she was suffering from depression. The girl had spent four years living with Candice’s sister while Candice tried to get her life back on track after losing her husband. When her daughter moved back home, Candice noticed that she had gone from being a “social butterfly” to isolating herself in her bedroom. As someone who experienced depression herself as a child, Candice knew something was wrong and sought help.
“I didn’t want her to suffer and think having a mental health issue is a bad thing,” Candice said. “I wanted her to know it’s OK, and this is what we can do to fix it.”
From early childhood programs to behavioral health services for teens, Candice believes Oakland Family Services is important to the community.
“I absolutely love Oakland Family Services,” she said. “This is one agency where you can find just about any service you need without having to look at 10 different places to find 10 different services. It was nice to have Jasper do his program and use the same agency to get my daughter help. It’s much easier to follow one agency’s guidelines and restrictions and not have to follow five different sets of rules and restrictions and guidelines and recommendations. Oakland Family Services has everything you need.”