The Biser Family Story
“Finding that balance to really be able to connect with my daughter and still impact her life, even though I have to work…that’s something I definitely learned through resources.”
Lauren Biser is a fully self-sufficient, first-time mother with her own apartment, car, health insurance, and full-time job as a store manager. She focuses on what is best for her two-year-old daughter above anything else. Her daughter is developing quickly at a quality early learning center funded by JWB, building vocabulary, putting together full sentences, and even learning sign language.
Today, you would never know that Lauren was once in an abusive relationship when she became pregnant with her daughter. Though she was happy about having her first child, she was extremely scared – her biggest concern was that the abuse would continue to get worse and no longer solely affect her, but their baby as well.
Everything changed when she joined the Nurse-Family Partnership and began receiving home visits from Nurse Julie Goodrich. Lauren says that Julie offered genuine support without making her feel judged about her situation. The program helped Lauren accept what she had been through, understand that it wasn’t her fault, and more importantly, feel empowered to no longer be a victim of domestic violence.
When Lauren and her daughter’s father decided to co-parent, Lauren had to learn to set rules and boundaries with the help from family and Nurse Julie. Julie was able to give Lauren a new way to view her situation and realize she did not have to stay with her daughter’s father in order to still allow him to be in her daughter’s life. She was able to come to the realization that if the relationship was not healthy for her, it would never be healthy for her child.
Lauren says that having a nurse come into the home also gave her the support and knowledge she needed to deal with the different stages of her pregnancy. Ultimately, the program helped her to have a healthy pregnancy.
When asked what advice she would offer someone else in the position she was in, she insists, “There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, and…definitely use your resources. The Nurse-Family Partnership is a great resource, especially as a new mom, because you have so many conflicting feelings, your hormones are out of wack…it really helps you connect and make the decisions and choices that are best for your child. You’re their role model, and ultimately if you’re in a good place, they’re going to be in a great place.”
About the Nurse-Family Partnership
The Nurse-Family Partnership is a home-visiting program intended to promote the well-being of first-time, low-income mothers and their children. Nurses provide support and educational services including parenting education, referrals to community resources, and family enrichment beginning in pregnancy prior to 28 weeks gestation through the child’s second birthday. This is an evidenced-based home visiting program funded by the Juvenile Welfare Board of Pinellas County. Click here for more information.