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One of the building blocks of the initial programing will focus Sister to Sister Mentoring which will pair younger pregnant women ages 18-25 with older “Sisters” who can provide support through guidance and accountability to facilitate healthier babies and a more stabilized living situation for the mother. The older “Sister” will ensure the younger “Sister” (Expectant Mother) has access to the resources she needs during her pregnancy including identifying prenatal care, new parenting classes for mother and child safety, and emergency services as needed. This one on one approach will allow the older “Sister” to provide a compassionate, supportive role with the primary emphasis balancing the mom’s safety and delivery of a healthy baby.
The second component of support will be the case managers who will complete an initial assessment of the skills and short-term goals for the client. The client managers will identify resources and training assisting the client in moving to the next level of independence and stability. Some of the items in the needs assessment will include the client’s current housing situation, education, physical or medical needs, employment and income. An individualized plan will be developed for each client to identify resources and ensure their current needs are met and they are provided tools to move into the next level of self-sufficiency.
Education is a critical to being financially independent and is often a barrier keeping women from moving beyond an abusive relationship. Education is an essential building block to moving people from their current situation into a more self-sufficient position. Born 2 Excel will provide information regarding resources for formal education such as GED completion and college preparation. GED programs will be identified and incorporated into the Born 2 Excel network for client referral along with seeking the ability of offering these classes on site. In addition, clients will participate in financial literacy and job readiness training as part of the Born 2 Excel educational component.
Another foundational piece of the initial programing will be creating educational opportunities for the women who are Born 2 Excel clients. Born 2 Excel will assess each client’s current situation including educational status and financial needs to develop a plan moving them to the next level of self-sufficiency. Lack of education often keeps people locked into an income situation and sometimes becomes a barrier to changing a family’s situation.