Being part of our Playgroup and taking our Bringing Up Great Kids course completely transformed the lives of Andrea*, a mother in custody, and her two-year-old daughter Meg*.
The two had a rough start. After several months apart, as they were separated when Andrea was incarcerated, they struggled to connect at first.
Andrea had never been in custody before, and the shock of being separated from her daughter, who was only one at the time, was incredibly hard for all to bear.
During their first playgroup, both Andrea and Meg cried. Meg had become used to being with her grandmother, and it was unsettling at first being back with her mum, and Andrea was distraught as she felt that Meg didn’t recognise her anymore.
But with the help of our team, they found a quiet space together away from everyone else, and Andrea held her daughter and sang to her until she settled.
By the end of the session, they were happily playing together, with Meg excitedly looking forward to the following week when she’d see her mum again.
Over the next months, Meg and our team developed a trusting relationship; no matter where mum Andrea was transferred to, our team made sure she was always on site.
“Meg and I developed a great relationship, and she entered the centres with me confidently … when her Mum was transferred to another centre, I was there waiting for her,” said our team.
“She always had a familiar person to take her to playgroup every week, no matter where her Mum was,”
The mother-daughter relationship blossomed as playgroup continued, not without the occasional issue.
Both share the same determined personality, which meant Andrea needed support to understand how best to deal with behavioural issues and confidently parent her daughter.
This is where the Bringing Up Great Kids program helped. As she completed the program, Andrea reflected on which parts of her parenting she needed to work on and how much she had learnt.
It was a happy day when Meg was approved to move into the centre and live with her mum!
They still came to playgroup every week, and Andrea would ask our team for support with specific problems she’d had.
“I gave her resources about what different behaviours communicate about her child’s needs and how to meet these needs proactively,” said our team.
“At a recent playgroup session, she told me that she’s enjoying reading these, and it has changed how she interacts with her child.
“They are now very relaxed and full of humour during playgroup.
“The difference between Mum and child is clear, and they are now thriving while living together in the centre!
“Every week this family tell me how much they appreciate having me in their lives and how I have been the one consistent person for them across the three prisons they have been transferred between.
“Andrea is looking forward to getting out and completing a university degree. She wants to affect change in the criminal justice system, which I greatly admire.”
*Names and images are changed to protect participants.
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