Sezounde’s story begins with a situation few of us have experienced: Raising two young children (an infant and a toddler) as a single mother with no other family members in the country. Because it was necessary for Sezounde to hire a babysitter while she was at work, she could only afford childcare by working part time. Without a driver’s license – for which she would need driver’s education and therefore need to hire a babysitter for additional hours – her only means of transportation were walking or taking the bus. Her children had health insurance through Medicaid; however, she could not afford it for herself.

This all began to change in February 2016, when Sezounde enrolled her children in NVFS’ Early Head Start home-based program in Prince William County:

• Sezounde is now working full time because her NVFS family advocate, Pam, connected her with child care subsidy assistance through the county — meaning Sezounde could now enroll her kids in daycare.
• Sezounde now has health insurance because she is a full-time employee.
• Sezounde’s family now has their own transportation: Pam not only helped Sezounde obtain her driver’s license, but connected her with NVFS’ Vehicles for Change program — and in November 2016, Sezounde had her first car. Pam also helped Sezounde obtain two car seats for her children.
• Sezounde is now training to be a home-aide nurse and anticipates completing the program this July.

With services from Early Head Start and social interactions with their peers at daycare, both of Sezounde’s children are hitting all the right milestones — and she now has the tools with which to build them a brighter future.