Six weeks after her 13th birthday, F became pregnant by her boyfriend- a 17 year-old, unemployed high school dropout. F’s own mother was a young woman who died before F was one year old and F’s father was incarcerated about 12 years ago, and he remains in prison. F has lived with her grandmother most of her life. Her grandmother was upset about the pregnancy, and concerned because F had shown disruptive behavior in school, was involved in several physical fights at school, and had a poor attitude both at home and at school.
F was admitted to FCS during the summer enrolled to start the 7th grade at school in the fall. Keeping F in school was a priority. Although F was occasionally challenging with regard to going to school, she began to attend school on a daily basis. Medical care is another huge priority for a pregnant child, and FCS staff was especially diligent in making sure that F went to all of her medical appointments, and received all prenatal care.
F often had to be re-directed by staff because of her negative behavior. She became easily upset and angry; however, over time she learned to interact more appropriately with her peers and staff. She responded very well to the Mentor who was provided by the FCS Volunteer Coordinator and to opportunities to be one-on-one with staff. She particularly seemed to enjoy working with staff on specific projects. F was a resident in the Maternity Program at FCS for 6 months before she delivered a healthy baby boy weighing 7 lbs. and 3 oz. She was discharged with the baby to her Grandmother. F is currently being followed up through FCS’s aftercare program, and she is doing very well.
F is a perfect example of the challenging situation our clients are in. Pregnancy alone is difficult. Once the numerous overwhelming variables our residents face are accounted for as well, it is easy to see how important FCS is in their lives. We provide a safe place for our clients to get their lives on track. We enable them to prepare for a solid, productive, and healthy future.
