A father's story
My name is Michael, and I have a 15-month old son who was taken into the care of local authorities due to concerns related to my past. Losing my baby was extremely traumatic, but the Family Hubs were instrumental in my journey towards healing and improvement.
I participated in several parenting programmes, including the six-week Nurturing Course at Harmony Hub, which was incredibly helpful. I learned a lot about understanding babies and children, recognising signs and risks of abuse, and I met wonderful people there. The staff who led the sessions made me feel comfortable and supported.
I also attended the Five to Thrive programme at Moat Hub, which offered practical ways to interact with my child, especially in the sensory room. Throughout my journey, I connected with other parents and shared our various challenges, which was beneficial to everyone involved. Additionally, I completed the Solihull Approach online, which covers the development of children from infancy to teenage years. I accessed this programme through my social worker, and it proved to be very useful.
About five months later, I underwent a parenting assessment, which had a positive outcome based on my interactions with my son, focusing on love and play, along with the knowledge I gained during my time in the programmes.
Following this, my partner and I went to court, and I am happy to share that our son has been back home with us for the past nine months. Parenting has become a loving experience filled with established routines for mealtimes and bedtime, and I now genuinely understand my child better through play.
I am grateful for the support I received from the Family Hubs, as I wouldn’t have reached this point without their help. Recently, I’ve been asked to become a Parent Champion for the Family Hubs, which I am excited about.
I highly recommend that anyone who has faced similar challenges seek support from Family Hubs and participate in their groups; they are incredibly helpful resources