Mom of 5 says Oakland Family Services 'wrapped around' her family

Kori’s son Trey practices writing his name while attending preschool at Oakland Family Services’ Children’s Learning Center in Walled Lake.

This client success story was originally published as part of Oakland Family Services’ 2019-2020 Annual Report. To read the full annual report, click here.

When finances led Kori to Oakland Family Services for preschool for her first child, little did she know that not only would all of her school-aged children attend the Children’s Learning Center, but also that the agency would be there for her when she needed it most.

Though Kori did not qualify for free preschool through the Great Start Readiness Program, when seeking a center for her son Adrian, now 8, she knew she could not pay the price through the local school district. She was referred to Oakland Family Services’ Children’s Learning Center (CLC) in Walled Lake and was thrilled.

“He looked forward to coming every morning,” she said. “They loved on him and they reported back to me every detail of his day. I don’t think I’d get this in every school, I don’t think I would have gotten the individual care.”

Oakland Family Services educated more than 275 students last year in two CLCs, one in Pontiac and one in Walled Lake. The centers offer free Great Start Readiness Program preschool for at-risk children, as well as tuition classrooms and childcare. The HighScope curriculum, which stresses age-appropriate learning through play, is utilized.

Adrian went from resisting writing to spelling his name and mastering the alphabet and, socially, the then-only child blossomed.

“He thrived in kindergarten,” Kori said.

Her story didn’t end there, though.

“I knew I was going to send Stevie. It was a no brainer,” she said of her daughter who is now 6 and in first grade. “They took a real liking to Stevie,” Kori said. “She is really artsy and creative and that’s where she thrived. She flourished.”

Kori’s son Jordan practices writing his name while attending preschool at Oakland Family Services’ Children’s Learning Center in Walled Lake.

Kori’s twins, Trey and Jordan, are currently students in the Walled Lake center. Born prematurely at 28 weeks, the boys have had to work through not just health challenges, but also developmental delays that necessitated physical, occupational and speech therapy. Trey’s issues were largely speech-related; he grunted instead of using words until age 3 ½. Jordan is sensitive to stimulation and has needed occupational therapy to learn to transition without meltdowns.

They came to the CLC after time spent in special education services through their school district and Oakland Family Services’ Early On program. Though the boys still have an individualized education plan based on their delays, they had progressed to the point that they did not need special education services through the district anymore.

“I was concerned about how they would do, about dropping them off, how would they do?” she said. “After meeting the boys’ teacher the week before school started, I automatically was like, ‘Oh, she cares.’ I knew she would call me if necessary, she was going to be truthful and honest if they overwhelmed her. I really didn’t have an issue after that.”

But the biggest indicator of what a special place Kori found in Oakland Family Services came this past November, when a domestic incident with her husband occurred.

“It’s been a trying year for me personally,” she said. “The kids and I moved into our own place. They have stepped up to make sure that our Christmas was good, that the kids have the resources they need, that we have food.”

Kori received her holiday assistance through the agency’s Adopt a Family program, which in 2020 provided gift cards for presents and basic household needs to families in need.  

“It was a huge deal,” she said. “Beyond big. These kids wouldn’t have had a Christmas, otherwise.”

Kori said the support from the CLC staff and help she received from a navigator in Oakland Family Services’ Early Learning Communities program have “wrapped around” her family.

“I don’t have to ask,” she said. “They take initiative and they have been doing that all year. I am on the verge of tears thinking about how much everyone has been so patient and kind. It was a very huge issue and they stepped up. They have resources for me, not just the kids.”

Kori, who also has a 16-month-old daughter, Logan, said her house is calmer than it used to be. Because of skills her children obtained in the CLC, she hears more talking among her children and less fits. On a larger scale, Kori said Oakland Family Services gave her children something they wouldn’t have otherwise had — a preschool education.

“I don’t know that my kids would have gotten preschool at all if not for Oakland Family Services,” she said. “It was a huge resource that got them the education prior to kindergarten they needed. We didn’t qualify and I wouldn’t have been able to pay for it. I’m so happy that we came here.”