Ann thought her parenting days were over. After retiring from her professional career, she was eager to be a doting grandmother and do “grandmotherly” types of things with the children. Her husband had passed away. She never dreamed that she would eventually have custody and be a parent for her four grandchildren. Potty training and dealing with pre-teen issues were not in her plans.
Ann has had custody of Ashleigh, Michaela, Michael, and Daniel, ages 12, 10, 9, and 4, respectively, since shortly after Daniel’s birth. Their mother, who according to Ann, was once wonderful and caring, had slipped into a world of drug use that affected nearly every aspect of her and her children’s lives. Daniel was exposed to drugs in the womb and was born an “at-risk” child. Ann did not want her grandchildren to live in a foster home, so she stepped in to become a parent.
“When I assumed custody of my grandchildren, I thought I was on my own, and I wasn’t prepared to be a parent at this stage in my life,” Ann says. “I was so overwhelmed by financial and parental concerns, and I didn’t know where to turn since my family had never needed help like this before. I didn’t realize how many community resources there are for people like me. Thankfully, CPCD staff quickly stepped in to help me and the children, and our lives have turned for the better.”
Ann continued, “Tila [Michael and Daniel’s Head Start teacher] was so easy to talk with, and she gave me so much advice, directed me to community agencies, and looked into new resources for me. I can’t even begin to name each CPCD staff member who has helped me; there are just too many people to list. However, I am forever grateful and appreciative to each and every one of them.”
CPCD staff helped introduce Ann to a variety of support groups and programs, such as CPCD’s Grandparent Support Group, funded by a grant from the County Department of Human Services; scholarship and grant opportunities; the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC); Shop with a Cop; Operation School Bell; and Christmas Unlimited. “The Grandparent Support Group has been especially helpful by addressing topics such as legal issues, computer safety, adoption, and potty training, among others,” Ann said. “It’s wonderful to learn so much and also benefit from meeting other grandparents who are dealing with the same stresses and issues as I am.”
Ann is thankful that all four of her grandchildren have been able to benefit from attending Head Start. “Head Start helped the older children to learn to read and write and to also become familiar with school and the academic expectations for elementary school. I view Head Start as the first step in getting them out in the world,” Ann said. “Daniel enjoys going to Head Start, and I’ve seen dramatic improvements in his abilities to identify letters and numbers. He’s always anxious to learn new things, especially with the literacy boxes. He bounces off the Head Start bus each day to eagerly show me what he learned.”
Ann concluded, “I don’t know where my life, or my grandchildren’s lives, would be right now had we not received support from Head Start. I am forever thankful.”