Supported Parenting Services

About Our Program

The Supported Parenting Program is a family support, home visitation program which promotes positive parenting and healthy interactions between parent and child. Program staff help prepare, strengthen, and support at-risk families through positive parenting skills as they interact on a day-to-day basis with their children.

The Catholic Charities’ worker visits the home after the child is born and serves as a resource to the family as they grow through the first year. The worker provides education about child growth and development and offers support and reinforcement for healthy parenting skills. In addition, the worker offers assistance to all members of the family to resolve the tensions and discord which can arise about co-parenting, visitation, discipline, etc.

Our Services Include:

Home visitation, assessment and education
Assesses needs of family and develops appropriate parenting goals
Connects families to others for socialization and supportive interaction

We serve client families with intellectual disabilities in Milwaukee County and Waukesha County, who have children from birth to age 7 or through first grade, which ever comes last. There is no fee for Supported Parenting Program clients.

Contact us for more information:

Sarah Matson
Director of Supported Parenting
262-547-2463 Ext. 4624
smatson@ccmke.org

Meet Moesha & Iesha

Moesha has suffered from the effects of poverty and untreated mental illness since she was a child. Now a young adult, when she was referred to Catholic Charities earlier this year, she was living in a shelter and pregnant. The shelter helped her transition to an apartment, however, the care she needed for herself, a healthy birth, and stability for her future was more than they could provide.

She had no family support and was unable to drive. She missed many doctor appointments. Our Family Support Worker in the Supported Parenting Program began to work with Moesha to help her meet immediate needs, such as transportation to doctor visits and having enough food. The priority for Moesha was to have a healthy birth and to learn positive parenting skills to help her prepare for taking baby home. The Support Worker would help her with this and much more.

After baby was born, her Support Worker attended well-baby check-ups with Moesha and assured that Moesha had basic necessities like milk and diapers.

Moesha’s Support Worker shares, “I have also at times just been a listening ear to support her through the daily hiccups of life.” With the compassionate care of Catholic Charities, Moesha is no longer alone, and she and baby are flourishing.