Lily is a young single mother who wants to give her new baby a better life than she had.
Lily, a young single parent with a three-year-old son, suffered from childhood trauma. As a young child, she was often left unsupervised while her parents worked. These childhood experiences significantly influenced Lily's mental and emotional well-being, as well as her confidence in parenting her newborn son.
When her son was only two months old, Lily found herself homeless, and attempts to live with other family members were unsuccessful. Lily was referred to The Benevolent Society local centre after making contact with a homelessness service.
The Benevolent Society team always takes a soft and gentle approach to working with newer or young parents. Often the first contact with the service is through attendance at a playgroup, supported by a team made up of family support workers, child development specialists and child health nurses.
Like many younger parents, Lily was initially anxious about approaching other mums and forming social connections. The Benevolent Society team worked and supported Lily to help her form these connections in a subtle manner. They go about this by encouraging young parents to support one another. Along with the playgroup, the team also offered Lily parenting support and further education. By slowly building Lily’s trust and confidence, the team was able to support her to be the mum that she wanted to be.
*Names and images have been changed to protect members of the family