Parent and baby: Josie’s story
When 19-year-old Josie first arrived at Alabaré parent and baby accommodation, she was several months pregnant, feeling lost, suffering with social anxiety, and facing an uncertain future.
Heavily pregnant and with nowhere to live, Josie was unsure where to turn. After an appointment at her GP Practice, her doctor referred Josie to Alabaré’s parent and baby accommodation.
Josie had been living at home with her parents and five siblings and there simply would not be enough room in the family home for Josie and her baby. Her partner’s parents refused to let her live with them, so Josie was facing homelessness.
After meeting with an Alabaré support worker, Josie was soon settled into one of Alabaré’s two dedicated parent & baby homes. At first, she had felt daunted about the prospect of living in an unknown house with three new mothers and their babies, but she soon found it to be a warm and welcoming place.
Baby steps
Fast forward six months and Josie’s support worker has ensured that Josie is equipped with both the life and mothering skills that she needs once she leaves the parent and baby home. Wanting to become the best mother possible to her new baby boy, Josie has engaged with all the opportunities that were available to her, including how to manage household finances, first aid training and basic cookery classes.
“It was really great having my support worker’s help, I had absolutely no clue about rent, maternity allowance or how it was going to make a difference. That extra insight on how it was gonna make a difference has been really helpful.”
For many years, Alabaré’s parent and baby accommodation has been supported by The Community of St. Denys Trust, This allows us to provide essential parenting and tenancy training as well as support on employability skills. Funding towards wellbeing support, especially for young women, has also provided essential activities that have allowed Josie and her son to bond and build cherished memories with craft sessions, days out and swimming activities – luxuries that she otherwise would be unable to afford. During these sessions, Josie has bonded with the other new parents and found comfort in shared experiences and joint learning activities, building a strong support network which they will take with them beyond Alabaré.
Moving on from parent and baby accommodation
Since childhood, Josie has had a passion for cars and had completed a college course in mechanics before she became pregnant. Now, with the help of her support worker, Josie has restarted her journey to becoming a fully trained mechanic.
“My support worker has helped me with employment, giving me advice for applications, re-doing my CV, and helped me look into courses. I’m a Level 2 qualified mechanic so I’m going on a hybrid and electric course, 2-days a week which will help me when I’m ready to go back to work full-time whilst my son is in nursery.”
Later this year, Josie and her son will be moving out to a home of their own, and Josie knows the new friendships that she has built will continue to be there to support her.
To other young parents who may be in a similar situation, Josie says: “Definitely take the support available. It really helps having extra people around who don’t know everything you’ve been through; you get a different point of view from them, and you get different support and advice for certain situations if you need it.”
“My support worker has helped me to build my independence and my confidence.”
We wish Josie and her young son all the very best as they move back into independent living.
Learn more about how Alabaré supports young parents at risk of homelessness in Wiltshire, by visiting Alabaré’s Parent & Baby Service. If you have an enquiry or require further information, email the team.
We are enormously grateful to the Community of St Deny’s for their essential support, which has included grants of almost £300,000 over the last ten years. This funding has been crucial and has enabled us to support our Young People Service and Parent and Baby Service and provided vital support for our chaplaincy work. Their legacy lives on in the young lives they have touched.
To protect client identities, names and photographs are for illustrative purposes only.
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