‘To see her grow is so rewarding:’ Young Mother Expresses Gratitude to Healthy Families

When Britney gave birth to her daughter Nyla at age 23, she experienced a flurry of emotions: joy, gratitude, and excitement, but also uncertainty and overwhelm. As a young single parent, Britney wasn’t sure how she would navigate the new terrain of motherhood on her own.  

Four years later, Britney has a deep confidence in herself as a parent, crediting Catholic Charities Healthy Families North Shore, a support program for young first-time parents, for helping her develop her skills and for providing a strong network of mentors and fellow mothers to lean on.   

Britney was referred to the program early into the COVID-19 pandemic while still pregnant. Working with her case manager over Zoom, she learned how to prepare for her daughter’s arrival and what to expect in the early days of motherhood. After Nyla was born, Britney’s former home visitor, Subrena Service, began conducting weekly home visits, guiding Britney through breastfeeding and potty-training and offering a shoulder to lean on when challenges arose. 

Today, Britney attributes much of her daughter’s growth into a healthy, vibrant four-year-old to her participation in Healthy Families. “It was so nice to have Subrena there to keep reminding me that there were other moms who had been in my shoes and that I was not alone,” she said. 

Looking back, Britney said she is filled with pride at how much she, too, has grown. After graduating from the Healthy Families program, Britney became a member of the program’s Parent Advisory Committee, who periodically meet to discuss ways to improve the program and continue serving young parents in the community.  

“Britney quickly agreed to be a Parent Leader and has shared her creativity with the program as we created new outreach materials,” said Lisa Sorrento, Home Visitor Supervisor for Healthy Families North Shore. “Seeing the way Britney interacts with her daughter and seeing the bond they share is just incredible. We are incredibly proud of her.” 

In addition to serving on the leadership committee, Britney now runs a childcare center out of her home alongside her grandmother and aunt, where she channels the knowledge that she gained into helping other families and children grow into the best, brightest versions of themselves, day by day. 

“As a mom, there’s a lot of repetition,” she said. “There are a lot of things you have to keep on saying and keep on doing day by day, so to see it now pay off is so rewarding.” 

To learn more about how you can support young parents in need, and Catholic Charities Boston’s other clients, visit our Ways to Give page. Learn more about Catholic Charities Boston’s Healthy Families program here.