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"Where children are cherished
and futures
are formed."
FOUNDED IN 2000
At the "tender
age of 74, Helen Coppage, a community-minded citizen, saw a need for
a home that kept foster teen mothers and their children together, so she gathered her friends together
and started a not-for-profit organization headed by a board of
directors.
With all of their help and
Helen's profound determination, Helen's dream home became
a reality. The house was dedicated on Mother's Day in the year
2000. Helen passed away in the fall of that same year at the
age of 81 -- her "mission" accomplished.
FOCUS
Our Mother's Home is a
large home with facilities adequate for housing eight young Foster
mothers and their babies. Our Home is unique in many ways, one
being that we help teenage Foster mothers from age thirteen to age
eighteen, as long as they stay in school or have a job.
Any pregnant or post-partum
Florida teen that is a Foster Child
or is in the process of becoming under the care of the Department of
Children and Families can come to our home to live after the
first trimester of pregnancy or with her child, if the baby has
already been born.
MISSION
We strive to break the
cycle of foster care in the children of foster mothers. Rather than
separate foster Moms and their children (the current practice of
state foster care), Our Mother's Home supports the mother and child
together, teaching the Mother how to care for her baby. We are
especially active in teaching self-sufficiency skills and supporting
the mothers as they transition out of the foster care system at age
18.
In traditional foster care
systems, 70% of foster Moms end up returning to the situations that
led them to foster care in the first place, losing their children to
the foster system in the process. Our Mother's Home is a prototype
program with an 80% success rate in keeping both Moms and their
children out of foster care system.
EDUCATION
Our Mother's Home improves the
ability of an individual to become independent and learn skills to
enhance activities of daily living. We have programs that promote
health, happiness and integration into the community. OMH has home based services for the teens such as: personal care,
housekeeping and life skills training including family values,
parenting skills, etc...
There is a home atmosphere filled with love
and hugs and appreciation for just being who they are. We have
support services in prenatal care, nursing your baby, counseling,
independent living and tutoring.
STAFFING
We have a caring staff and
a very active volunteer
Board of Directors who
operate Our Mother's Home.
FUTURE
This prototype program is
halfway to demonstrating the full power of mother/child care. Our
home for current foster Moms is proving itself with terrific
results. We look forward to building and maintaining our
transitional home for mothers who have turned 18 and need support as
they become self-sufficient mothers. The goal for our transitional
program is to empower these young mothers with the skills necessary
to break the welfare cycle. |