{"id":28863,"date":"2018-12-14T05:18:00","date_gmt":"2018-12-14T00:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/10.101.250.8\/news-and-publication\/brookes-story-a-second-chance-at-christmas\/"},"modified":"2021-09-08T11:03:28","modified_gmt":"2021-09-08T01:03:28","slug":"brookes-story-a-second-chance-at-christmas","status":"publish","type":"news-and-publication","link":"https:\/\/www.wesleymission.org.au\/news-and-publications\/stories-of-hope\/brookes-story-a-second-chance-at-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Brooke’s story: A second chance at Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
SafeCare is an evidence-based, behavioural skills training program for parents of children identified as being at-risk or who have been reported to child protection services.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
A second chance at Christmas<\/strong><\/p> In Sydney\u2019s west, a mother of two young children ponders what may have been a very different Christmas if a kindly knock on her front door had not been answered more than a year ago.<\/p> Feeling alone and isolated while raising her children, Brooke, now speaks openly and confidently about her journey and the positive impact of SafeCare, a NSW Government pilot program that is part of Wesley Brighter Futures.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t Brooke was finding parenting hard, \u201cI felt really alone,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was very overwhelming. You just had to wing it and keep it to yourself.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote> Her eldest child had special needs and Brooke often felt out of her depth and burdened.<\/p> After struggling for a while, she heard a knock on her door. It was Louise Vincin from Wesley Mission.<\/p> Louise introduced the SafeCare program to Brooke and she hasn\u2019t looked back.<\/p> Brooke said she has grown as a parent, learning \u201cto interact more with her kids\u201d and how to provide specific positive feedback to build her children up.<\/p> As SafeCare is an in-home program, it gives parents the confidence to step outside into the community. Knowing that you have the skills and knowledge to manage your children in public builds confidence and well-being.<\/p> Brooke believes her children have flourished and their personalities have grown, and she is delighted to be expecting a third child.<\/p> Although even her faith was challenged, Louise and others from Wesley Mission helped her through the most difficult moments.<\/p> \u201cThere were times when I questioned what God was doing and why he was putting you in those situations,\u201d Brooke said. \u201cThey say \u2018have faith and persevere\u2026\u2019\u00a0for me when you\u2019re so consumed by your environment it was hard for me to sit there and say \u2018Hey God I\u2019m going to trust you.\u2019<\/p><\/blockquote> Brooke\u2019s advice to other parents who are struggling is to \u201cbe open to God\u201d.<\/p> \u201cAllow Him to do what he has to do. For me it was like he was making me into a new person. Sometimes it is ugly, and you have to go along a very dark path to find the light\u201d, she says.<\/p><\/blockquote>