Jasmine has just turned 17 years old. She is a junior in high school and hopes to be a nurse. She also has two children: Seth, age 2, and Kyla, age 2 months.

Growing up, Jasmine did not have a stable family environment. She has been out on her own since she was 12 years old with no support system. Her last boyfriend left her with two children as well as physical and emotional scars.

Life is incredibly tough for a child, still in school, who has two children of her own. Jasmine had to be really strong to remove herself from her abusive relationship. But she realized that she could not do everything by herself. She needed help learning how to make it in the world, and learning how to be a good parent to her children.

Jasmine turned to Morrison Child and Family Services, which offers a home visitation program that teaches new parents how to care for their children. On a recent Tuesday morning, Seth was working with their Morrison parent educator, Brenda, on problem solving. With the help of his mother, he was improving his problem solving and spatial skills by putting tennis balls into muffin tins. Every time Jasmine handed him a tennis ball, out piped a little "thank you."

While Brenda told Jasmine about the importance of Kyla's "tummy time," she stopped every so often in the middle of a sentence to discuss the puzzle pieces that Seth kept putting in her lap. Then Brenda checked Kyla's development. To Jasmine's delight, her baby girl observed movement and followed sounds with a keen interest.

With Morrison’s help, Jasmine has come a very long way. She makes every effort to learn skills that will help her and her children, and she works hard to employ them. And Brenda is behind her every step of the way. When Jasmine needed to move in order to make the commute to her high school easier, Brenda presented different options. With Brenda’s guidance, Jasmine is also applying for grants to put herself through community college and get her nursing degree.

Seth and Kyla are both very happy and healthy, which is a testament both to Jasmine's strength and Morrison's support. With the help of Brenda and Morrison Child and Family Services, Jasmine and her family are now in a position to succeed.

Other Success Stories

*Names and certain events have been changed to maintain confidentiality and to protect the children and families we serve