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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.�

 

FEATURED

Success Stories

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Lisa, Youth Outreach Services

 
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Shanese. Uhlich Children's Advantage Network (ucan)

 
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Brian, Children's Home Success Stories,

 
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