Years after connecting, Bright Start hope still shines

This piece is sponsored by Children’s Home Society.

Bright Start nurse Holly recently was approached by a stranger.

“I was walking out of the library after a visit today,” she said. “A gal in a bright pink sweatshirt walking past me was smiling at me almost like she recognized me or something.”

Holly greeted her, and the woman said she’d been a Bright Start client and asked if Kristy, another nurse, was still with the program. She’d seen that Holly was wearing a Bright Start jacket.

“She was so excited to hear that Kristy is still with Bright Start and shared what a difference Kristy made for her. She asked if she could write a note to Kristy and if I’d give it to her. You could really tell by her reaction how deeply the client was touched — even all these years later.”

What is Bright Start?

Bright Start is a community-based, personal nurse visitation program that utilizes the Nurse Family Partnership evidence-based model. Balancing research and proven results with a trusting relationship, Bright Start offers first-time moms the pathway to give their child the best possible start. 

First-time moms can enroll and be connected with their own personal nurse any time in their pregnancy. The nurse continues to provide support until the child’s second birthday. Nurses share parenting information such as nutrition, prenatal care, home safety and creating a positive home environment. Bright Start nurses walk alongside clients through experiences such as goal-setting, building a support system, addressing child care options and even job training and housing.

To help their babies, expectant moms receive these Bright Start services:

• Home visits — or location of their choice
• Prenatal and maternal health assessments
• Health, safety and nutrition education
• Infant/child health assessments
• Early childhood education
• Infant/child developmental assessments
• Parenting education
• Mental health services
• Special events

Participation in Bright Start is voluntary and free. It is designed to fit varied schedules and allows for personal preferences and needs.

Kristy and Dorla connect

Kristy called her former client, Dorla, to visit. Then, they met at the new Bright Start offices at Children’s Home Shelter for Family Safety. Hugs, laughter and a few tears were shared. They reminisced about when they first met.

In 2014, Kristy became the Bright Start nurse for Dorla and her infant daughter, Autumn.

“I needed the help, and I was nervous and scared,” Dorla said. “I was really thankful. I had no family to help.”

“Life is stressful,” Kristy said. “And if you don’t have people to depend on, it’s even more so.”

Dorla nodded. “The program was so awesome … so much grace and so much hope, help and support — the love and compassion that you had for me and my daughter.”

Tears came to her eyes.

Kristy helped Dorla establish goals, find pathways and believe in her ability to succeed — the pillars of the Science of Hope. Dorla was living in a motel at first, Kristy remembers. She and the Bright Start therapist helped Dorla get a driver’s license, which was a big step toward getting a job and accessing help in the community.

“I loved the home visits too,” Dorla recalls. “It was more like family. I had so many questions. It was just so helpful.” Having the assurance that she was doing the right things for Autumn helped her feel more confident as a mother.

“I just remember her always smiling,” Kristy said. “She always seemed to have a positive attitude. Even when things were stressful and she was frustrated, she was always laughing and trying to find the good.”

Dorla laughed. “Wow. That’s nice to hear,” she said. “I didn’t think so. But thank you.”

Dorla and Autumn are very involved at churches. “I went through a lot of inner healing, through Jesus, healing from stuff that happened to me when I was a kid,” Dorla said. “The people are kind and supportive, again like family.”

Today, Autumn is 11 years old. She’s excited about starting middle school next year.

“I want her to be a woman of God,” Dorla said. “I pray that she walks in honesty, that she has integrity. I just want her to experience Jesus the way I did.”

“I’m just so proud of Dorla and what she’s accomplished,” Kristy added. “There are always struggles in life, but you (Dorla) always seem to find your way out of that. And I think that comes from the positivity I see in you and the joyful outlook that you have when things are tough.”

To learn more about Children’s Home Society’s Bright Start program, please visit chssd.org/nurse-family-partnership.