Anna became a mother at age 16. Although her home environment was already unstable, she chose to keep her baby. Her life was overwhelming. She was exhausted. Her nerves were frayed, and she was easily frustrated. It was not a good recipe for healthy child development.

At INMED’s Opportunity Center, we see a lot of teens like Anna. Our award-winning Healthy Families program works with young mothers to teach them the critical parenting skills they need to raise healthy children. Our caring case managers make home visits to identify abuse or neglect and provide hands-on instruction for effective care-giving. A teen moms’ support group also meets weekly at the Opportunity Center to encourage each other through their challenges.

In Anna’s case, INMED provided additional resources to help her finish high school, develop marketable job skills, find affordable child care and become self-sufficient. Today, Anna’s crisis has become a blessing. For more information about INMED’s Healthy Families Loudoun program, contact Cecilia Diaz-Yap at 703-729-4951 or email cdiaz-yap@inmed.org.