Uhlich Children�s Advantage Network (ucan) Helps
Shanese, 18, Mother of Two, Mature, Become Independent
Shanese�s
Situation
Shanese is an 18-year-old, single
mother of two boys. Unemployed, Shanese and her two kids were forced
to live with her older sister and her daughter in a cramped,
one-bedroom apartment at a North Chicago group home. Shanese stayed
only three months. Her initial stay at ucan�s Transitional Living
Program home in Riverdale fared no better. Shanese quarreled
bitterly with the houseparent and left after a month. She and her
boys were placed in another ucan transitional living home.
�It was impossible for me to walk
away from confrontations without getting the last word. Life had
been horrible before I found Uhlich,� said Shanese.
How ucan Helped
In her next transitional living
home, Shanese was introduced to houseparent Shinika Hudson by her
case worker, Kathy McCarthy.
At first, Shanese continued to
fight. �I used to jump into a fight whenever I had any conflict,�
said Shanese. �Kathy would tell me all the time about how I should
lighten up, but I wouldn�t listen. I fought.�
And Shanese fought. The more she
fought, however, the more Kathy and the ucan staff helped her and
counseled her. The relentless commitment brought results. Shanese�s
behavior turned. �As I began to develop trust in the staff, I began
to mature. They respected me and I learned to respect them,� said
Shanese.
In addition to personal counseling,
ucan staff helped Shanese start a job training program to become a
certified nurse�s assistance and helped her to find short-term
hospital jobs. With the accumulating experience, she earned a
full-time position �After a short time working at the Halsted
Terrace Elderly Hospital, I applied for a full-time job. Within two
weeks I was hired!�
For Shanese, ucan�s most beneficial
program was the parenting program. �It taught me how to become a
better parent to my two boys,� said Shanese. She learned how to
respond to the boys� crying. She learned to prepare nutritious
meals, ensure good hygiene for them, and develop a consistent
schedule. She learned the importance of prioritizing her day around
the boys and their needs. �My kids mean everything to me, so these
skills were very important, because I didn�t want to lose them to
the system due to my misbehaviors,� said Shanese.
Shanese Today
Today, Shanese continues to works as
a certified nurse�s assistant for Halsted Terrace, an alternative
living arrangement for the elderly and is completing her senior year
at Thornridge High School. In addition, she is planning not only to
purchase a car but also to move with her children to Calumet City
into her own home.
More important, Shanese has
transformed her self-image. �I look up to myself now. I say this
because I have been through so much and still I am able to move
ahead in life and motivate myself to do better.�
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