Getting Back on Track

I recently met Brittney, Tara and Michelle at Mothers Helping Mothers.  They may look like your ordinary young mothers, but they all share a common bond not apparent to most people.


Brittney and Michelle



Tara and Paityn

These young ladies all are a part of the Mothers and Infants program at First Step of Sarasota.  The goal of this program, according to the young ladies, is to create clean, sober, healthy moms and babies.  The program is an alternative to prison where the mothers are allowed to live with their babies while receiving rehabilitation.  According to the First Step website, "Mothers & Infants is a safe supportive program that combines group and individual counseling with parenting, nutrition and life management skills classes.  The program emphasizes the health of the mother and her infant and provides the women with the necessary skills for on-going recovery, self-sufficiency and family reunification.  Clients may stay in treatment for one year.  Infants remain with the mother in treatment after birth."

All three of these young women were in trouble and the court ordered them to go to First Step instead of going to prison for their offences.  "It is such a wonderful alternative to prison.  You get to be with your baby," said Brittney.  " If I had to go to prison, my baby would have to go to the Department of Children and Families and end up in foster care.  I just couldn't bare that." 

"The program includes group and individual therapy which really helps," said Michelle.  "They really teach you how to enter back into mainstream society in a healthy manner.  It really is a golden opportunity for me to get my life back on track."

The girls informed me that it was the Mother and Infant program administrators that told them about Mothers Helping Mothers.  They don't get much free time outside of the program, but this visit was "well worth it"  The ladies told me that they had found everything that they were looking for and then some!  They were waiting for their ride from the Mothers and Infants program to pick them up and take them back to the center.

These young women are just another example of the help that Mothers Helping Mothers gives to everyone- regardless of circumstances. 

The goods- It might not look like much, but pictures are deceiving.  Believe me, these girls racked up!