Megan still remembers the incessant screaming. The fighting. The familiar scent of alcohol on her mother’s breath.

But she doesn’t recall many childhood memories that make her smile. Nor does she recall the subtle, unfailing guidance of a healthy parental role model.

When Megan learned she was pregnant, she didn’t know where to turn, where to find positive direction … until she heard about Children’s Home Society of Florida.

With CHS, Megan found someone to rely on for advice and support. “I have a woman I can look up to, a role model, someone I can aspire to be like,” Megan says. And while Megan receives encouragement, she also gains practical parental education, realistic scenarios of child rearing, and donated items such as clothing and nutritious meals.

Moreover, her daughter has enjoyed trips to the local zoo, opened birthday presents and sported new clothes on her first day of kindergarten. None of which, Megan says, could have happened without CHS.

But it’s the wealth of information Megan values most. “Books don’t even skim the surface – you never know what to expect,” she says. “I’ve learned everything from CHS.”

Megan admits motherhood is tough – but it also brings more joy than she could have imagined. She credits CHS for helping her find her potential as a mother and building bridges to success for her daughter.

“She’s going to be the president, a doctor, a lawyer … a wonderful person,” Megan says. “I want her to look back and say that she’s successful and happy because of the way her mommy and daddy raised her.”