Creating Stability

Diana is a mother of two boys, Brandon (19) and Caleb (14). Her boys both have fathers who have been in and out of prison throughout their childhood, leaving Diana to raise her boys as a single mother.

Diana was first introduced to Friends of the Children–NY when her younger son, Caleb, was in kindergarten. Caleb attended a school that partnered with Friends of the Children–NY, and he was chosen to enroll in our program. Unfortunately, Brandon attended a school outside of our partnership and did not have the opportunity to enroll. For the next ten years, Caleb was given the stability and guidance of a Friend, who spent four hours each week with him, developing his critical social and emotional skills as he developed into a young man.

Over the years, the support that Caleb's Friends provided naturally extended to his family, as they grew to develop strong and trusting relationships. Caleb's current Friend, Kevin, works closely with Diana, supporting her emotionally while being a thought partner alongside her as she navigates the challenges of raising her two boys. Diana is an incredibly strong advocate for her children and works closely with Kevin to give her boys every opportunity she can to help them succeed.

Today, Caleb's father is out of prison, but he struggles to connect with his son, having missed so much of his childhood as a result of being incarcerated. Kevin works with Caleb and his father to re-engage their relationship and is working to find pathways to healing for the whole family.