Amara* lived with her three children and her husband, the children’s stepdad, who was verbally and physically abusive. Child Protective Services became involved, removed the children from the home, and placed them in foster care. Amara, who herself had been abused as a child, was devastated.

Amara knew she had to leave her husband—for her own safety and to get her children back. But she had no income of her own and no recent job history. When a cousin offered the spare room in her house, Amara was able to leave the abusive relationship and begin the work of reuniting with her children.

The county department of child and family services referred Amara to Stanford Sierra Youth & Families’ Parent Partner program. The program strengthens families by assisting parents in meeting their families’ safety and well-being goals. While receiving services, Amara was matched with Jolie*, a parent partner. Parent partners are Stanford Sierra staff who have been through journeys like the one Amara was on. Jolie helped Amara navigate the child welfare system and family courts. Jolie also facilitated communication between Amara and her county social worker and helped Amara understand what she needed to do to reunite with her kids.

With Jolie’s encouragement and support, Amara enrolled in skills training and eventually got a job at a grocery store. She also participated in mental health counseling to understand and heal from her own past trauma. She documented everything in order to demonstrate her progress to the family courts and to secure the right to extended visits with her children. Over time, she became an effective self-advocate, equipped with an understanding of her rights and obligations and a determination to do what had to be done.

Today, Amara and her children live together again. It’s not always easy and challenges remain, but they are solving them together as a family.  Though Amara wishes she’d never lost her children in the first place, she also declares as a matter of fact, “Today I’m the strongest parent I’ve ever been.”

*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.