Our Early Intervention - By Alexis Leathers

When I first became a parent, I had two foster children, a newborn, and a 2-year-old. I was pregnant with my own child, due in three months. My oldest had suffered from neglect to the point that his gross motor, social, and speech skills were severely hindered. I contacted the Head Start program through a referral from our pediatrician and began working with them. Their staff was phenomenal! She was able to get us into programs including speech, OT, and physical therapy all from the comfort of our home. My two fosters and my own three biological children have all received Early Intervention and were able to transition into preschool easily because of it! I recommend it to everyone! They went above and beyond to make sure we were able to connect to community programs that would help our family financially.  

I am a single parent to three children under five. Our needs are mostly financial. We receive SNAP, health care, home base, and child care. Our housing/living needs struggle to be met. I pay over half my income to rent, and another large portion goes to utilities and car payment. My van has $1,200 left until it’s paid. This leaves very little for things like emergency funds, vehicle maintenance, or household needs.