A young mother gets a new start

Sarah, a 17-year-old mother with a 10-month-old daughter, called FCR’s 24-hour Domestic Violence hotline as she was in fear for her life.

Sarah was connected with a DV advocate and shared her story. She said she was assaulted by her abuser the previous day and was taken to the hospital. When she was cleared by the hospital and returned to where she had been living, her abuser was there and threatened to shoot her because she had sought safety by accessing the police.

Due to the high-risk nature of the situation and the police department’s inability to find the abuser and arrest him, FCR stepped in to immediately Safe Home Sarah and her baby.  Through one of our Board Member’s, FCR was able to provide temporary housing at a local hotel until we could get Sarah out of the area to safe shelter with her daughter.  

The DV Advocate working with Sarah talked to her about looking into a Teen Parenting Program with a shelter, so Sarah could get wraparound services like childcare and training.  Sarah was very receptive to this idea and the Advocate immediately set out to look for a program that would meet her needs. After reaching out to several programs, her advocate then helped facilitate the referral through DTA to get Sarah in a program.  

Navigating the path to a shelter once the referral came though was daunting.  Sarah and her Advocate ultimately secured a spot in a Teen Program in a part of the state where she and her daughter would be safe.  FCR’s DV Advocate assisted this  young family in safe transportation to a Covid testing facility for a rapid test as required for entering the program.  Once this was completed, FCR’s DV Advocate arranged for transportation for Sarah to the Teen Parenting Program.  The experience was rewarding for both our DV advocate and Sarah. 

A grateful Sarah is now on her new journey to a better life with her daughter.