**Editor’s Note:** For privacy reasons, names and certain details have been changed. These stories are shared by former houseparents who have served at various children’s homes to offer insight, encouragement, and prayer for those considering this role. To respect the privacy of the children in these stories, we use artistic depictions rather than real photos.

A Mother’s Love: Nurturing Through the Struggle

Written by Tonya Hagan, former House Parent

When we were houseparents of the teen moms’ cottage, a 15-year-old girl and her one-month-old baby arrived late one night, stepping out of a police car. She was young, vulnerable, and confused—unable to fully comprehend why she had been brought to us. Her mother had told her she was going to fight the baby’s father’s new girlfriend to defend her honor, leaving the newborn at home.

The baby weighed only six pounds at one month old. He was not thriving. His mother did not hold him much. When it was time for him to eat, she rolled up towels to prop the bottle and set him in the car seat. When she carried him, his tiny head would hang over the side of her arm, unsupported. She just didn’t know how to handle a baby.

Over time, his little body began to mold into the position he was fed in, his neck stiffening toward the side he laid on so often.

At his doctor’s appointment, we were told he was showing signs of failure to thrive. By the time he was three or four months old, he had only gained two pounds, weighing just 8 lbs, 1 oz. At that point, the baby was no longer in his mother’s care but in mine. The doctor had me bring him back every Friday for weeks to monitor his weight. Week after week, the numbers barely changed. Then came the warning—if he didn’t reach 9 ½ pounds by the next visit, he would have to be admitted to the hospital for testing.

I started feeding him every two hours, holding him close and praying over him with every bottle. I talked to him, sang to him, and gave him the warmth and attention he had been missing. Slowly, he started smiling more, making little sounds, and showing signs of life and connection.

That Friday, we walked into the doctor’s office, holding onto hope. When they placed him on the scale, the number flashed: **10 lbs, 1 oz.** Relief flooded over me—he had gained weight, he was stronger, and he wouldn’t need to go to the hospital.

I saw firsthand what a little love and attention can do for a baby. How much they need to be nurtured in order to thrive. This young mother hadn’t been taught how to care for her baby—just as she had never been cared for in the way she needed. It wasn’t her fault. She simply hadn’t been given the tools.

This was not just the story of one baby, but of so many children who enter the world already facing obstacles beyond their control. And in those moments, it is love, patience, and unwavering faith that create the foundation for them to thrive.

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**A Prayer of Gratitude**
Heavenly Father, we lift up the young mothers and their children who enter our care, carrying burdens too great for their young shoulders. We pray for wisdom, patience, and an outpouring of love for those who nurture them, that they may provide not just shelter, but true connection. Lord, remind us that even the smallest act of care can bring life and healing. May we never take for granted the power of love in shaping a child’s future. We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.