“Without Highfields, I would have never been able to get through the Covid pandemic afloat,” said Tabatha, taking a deep breath. “When my family and I were sick with Covid, we were unable to work. Thankfully, because of my work with my Highfields’ counselor, Julie, I had budgeted enough in my savings to get us through while I was off from work and healing…and that would not have been possible two years ago.”
In 2020, Tabatha Wood found herself in a situation that many people would not survive or thrive from. She received an incarceration sentencing that lasted from the summer of 2020 to September of 2020. The day she was released was the point in time that she found herself having to start all over.
“When I got out I was broken and I felt completely isolated,” Tabatha reminisced. “I felt like I had no one to turn to for help or to listen to what I was going through. I clearly remember saying to my caseworker that no matter what it takes, I will do what I need to do to bring my kids back home. I never once believed that I couldn’t pull myself out of my situation if I just worked hard.”
Two weeks later, Tabatha was referred to Highfields and started her road to recovery.
Tabatha and her family began working with Highfields’ Family Counselor, Julie Culp, in the Families Together Building Solutions Program. This program helps families who are working to bring their children home after out-of-home placement.
“I remember my first visit with Julie like it was yesterday,” said Tabatha. “I felt extremely unsure because I knew there was a lot of work that I needed to do, and I needed help getting my game plan together.”
Julie and Tabatha worked through counseling for 30 days before Tabatha began to see her children through supervised visits. Julie helped transport Tabatha to and from the location of the visits. Julie also helped secure funds thanks to Highfields’ donors to help pay back a late energy bill. Tabatha’s husband George began his new job search to get income flowing into the family again.
Julie helped the Wood family work through their difficulties by providing parenting resources for one of Tabatha’s struggling children. Tabatha’s relationship with her kids became stronger as she listened, learned and grew during this period. Her marriage began to see a positive shift as well when she and George started attending marriage counseling.
Everyone involved in the Wood family case put in the maximum amount of effort and soon saw the rewards of their labor. From October of 2020 to July of 2021, Tabatha met with Julie and parenting coaches to set herself up to welcome her kids back into her home safely. On July 15, 2021, the family was officially reunited.
“Julie was there for everything; she went above and beyond and was the biggest advocator for our case to succeed,” said Tabatha. “Julie helped me learn life skills, like how to budget for the future, and the value of continued counseling even after my case with Highfields closed.”.
Thanks to the support of Highfields and their donors, and the hard work that was put into changing their lives, Tabatha and her family have found a life they enjoy living. Tabatha and George still meet with a counselor individually and as a couple to continue their growth.