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Cathy’s Story

Cathy woke up cold and alone in a strange basement. She woke up clothed in cold, soiled diapers. She woke up with a cold, hard knot of hunger in her belly. Cathy, not yet a year old, was well on her way to becoming a cold statistic in a newspaper story about neglected children.

But she didn’t become just another discouraging statistic. Thanks to Children’s Relief Nursery and a parent who is working hard to become a good mother, Cathy’s future now looks promising.

Born to two drug addicted parents, she spent the first year of her life bouncing from home to home. A concerned family friend called the state Department of Human Services and Cathy was placed in foster care.

When Cathy came to the attention of the Children’s Relief Nursery, the staff began addressing the child’s emotional, physical and developmental needs. Nursery staff also began working with the mother, who is in a residential treatment program for her drug addiction problems. Cathy’s father refused treatment.

Recently, nursery staff initiated supervised visitations between Cathy and her Mom. The goal of the nursery is to reconnect families, as long as at least one parent is committed to the program. One of the nursery’s child-parent psychotherapy clinicians meets with the mother and daughter on a regular basis. This intensive work is designed to heal the broken bonds of trust between mother and daughter and to teach the mother how to be the kind of parent Cathy deserves.

Cathy, however, is still a long ways away from a happy ending. Early neglect left her with developmental delays. The toddler is now safe and physically healthy, but the emotional trauma runs deep.

But Cathy and her mother have a chance to create a real family, a family that is warm and bright. A family, not a statistic.