To protect this family’s privacy and safety, we changed the mother’s name and left out details that could identify her. Her story is shared with her dignity in mind.

Sometimes parenting support arrives at exactly the right moment. When “Lynn” walked into our parenting class, she looked defeated. She is the mother of three young children, two of whom are on the autism spectrum. She was staying in a domestic violence shelter, trying to hold her family together with very little to lean on.

A familiar face

Lynn was not new to us. Years ago, she was a Head Start parent. She still remembered her coordinator, and she had even kept her old parenting book after all this time. But life had been hard. She admitted she was struggling in every way, and that being in a shelter without even a bedroom for her children made each day harder. On top of it all, she carried the weight of being judged by people who did not understand her situation. She held her feelings in, because the shelter was all she had.

More than a parenting class

That day, the group took time to remind Lynn that she is strong and that she could get through this. Then they got to work. Together, the mothers talked about how tough parenting can be, especially in a shelter where children have no quiet place of their own. They talked about trauma, and how it shapes the way children behave. Everyone shared their hardest challenge. One idea stood out: the mothers could become a support system for one another. The group welcomed it.

Small steps, real progress

Lynn took careful notes in her book. She wanted to do more to help her children. When she came back the next week, she seemed a little lighter. She had started reading her book again. She was taking small steps to manage her children’s behavior, asking many questions, and the other mothers kept showing up for her.

Why parenting support matters

Lynn is a fighter and a determined mother. She is making the changes that will help her family, one step at a time. Every parent needs courage and good information to meet the challenges of raising children. Lynn received a refresher course at exactly the right time. That is the heart of this program. Parents can come back as often as they need, because there is always something new to learn.

At Community Action of South Mississippi, parenting support is just one of the ways we walk alongside families through every season. See how our family programs support parents across South Mississippi.

If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence, you are not alone. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-799-7233.