The following stories are true. To honor privacy, names may have been changed.

Jessica (27) and Richard (29) brought their 4 year old daughter and 14 month old boy with them to ITH. Prior to coming, substance abuse had separated the family.  Jessica and the children entered a residential treatment program while Richard had to enter a different program by himself. The normal bonding process between father and children was fractured.  When they came to us, Jessica’s education was limited to her GED, which Richard lacked. Neither parent was employed.

Arriving at ITH, Richard immediately began working with the advice of his Case Manager and Child Specialist to bond with his family. He and Jessica learned to work as a unit to become an effective parenting.

They both furthered their educations to better prepare themselves for employment.  Jessica completed her Dental Assistant schooling. She is currently doing her externship at a local dental office. Graduating as top of her class, there is hope that she will soon be hired.  Richard is studying to become an electrician. At the top of his class, Richard mentors other students. 

Together, Jessica and Richard work to improve their family’s situation. Richard managed to get another car. Jessica is working towards her driver’s license.  The staff at ITH is hopeful that this family will flourish as they continue to grow in the program. 

Maria "I feel I have a support unit I can count on and I'm not fending for myself."

Laura (25) has resided at ITH for 1-1/2 months with her three children. Hispanic, her primary language is English.

Laura’s first week at the shelter, she pressed forward with the Learning Express program.  Intensely interested in child development, she is proving willing to improve her own parenting skills. Open to suggestions, she actively works to control her personal anger management issues. Spanking is no longer her only option to discipline her children.

Jesse (35), a single father, was overwhelmed with his parental responsibilities when he came to ITH. Initially, he expressed that he felt too busy to focus on improving his parenting skills. Fast forward three months, his family life is demonstratively under better control.

His first week in residence, he enrolled in the Learning Express Program.  Since then, he has participated in Anger Management classes, Child Development activities, psychological services, and the Parallel Learning Program. 

As Jesse became more receptive to new ideas, he shared parenting concerns with staff. He learned to implement new techniques. He discovered there are alternative forms of discipline more successful with his children than screaming foul language. He learned that successful communication required him being an active listener. This behavior change led to better family relationships. 

Jesse is now living in transitional housing and is an active participant in his children’s learning process.  At first, Jesse wanted the child specialist to tutor his children.  Today, however, he has created a replica of the ITH Learning Center in his home.  Jesse’s two older children are attending school regularly and turning in completed homework every week.  Jesse’s youngest child benefits from personal reading time with his father. Initially, the children all displayed problems with controlling their anger. Jesse’s children have learned to release intense emotions effectively. Now they appear calmer, less stressed.