Angela & Nicholas

Angela, a pregnant, single mother in Lake County, needed help making sure she was ready to give birth to her son in July 2019.

She and her first child were recent graduates of Kids Above All’s early learning program, and when she heard about our new doula program, Angela called her former parent educator to get more information. She was referred to Betsy, Kids Above All’s doula.

Angela was initially hesitant to enroll as she had built a strong relationship with her parent educator and was wary of starting over with a someone new. But Betsy proved to be dependable and trustworthy, helping Angela establish a birth plan and finding her a car seat, diaper bag and other essentials.

Angela and Betsy’s bond developed quickly, and Angela asked Betsy to be in the delivery room when she gave birth to her son Nicholas.

After Nicholas was born, Betsy coached Angela in breastfeeding techniques to make sure her son was getting the proper nutrition and helped get them both to their doctors’ appointments.

Six weeks later, Nicholas was healthy and growing well and Angela felt confident in herself to take care of her two children. Betsy helped them transition into Kids Above All’s early learning program for children ages 0-3, in which they’ll both continue to receive support so their family can succeed, and Nicholas can reach his potential.