Whitney is a single mother of two boys Colton who is six and Dalton, three.
Dalton is currently enrolled in our Baker EHS program and will transition to Head Start in August. One of the first goals mom set with us in 2018 was to work on literacy with her children and to get her Driver’s License re-instated. At the time, mom was working as a Home Health Aide putting in 10-hour shifts and was also working a part-time job. She struggled with having to depend on family members to get Dalton to school as well as getting to work. Family Advocate Stephanie Ash provided information for mom to help her set a routine in reading each day with her children, provided information on budgeting, and helped mom look into transportation resources like car-pooling. In June 2019, Whitney became employed with ECS as a custodian for the center. She reported so much happiness to have more time at home with her children being able to work on literacy and have more family time. During a follow up visit in Oct 2019, Whitney realized that working for ECS as a custodian had inspired her as a parent. It was at that time she knew she wanted to become a bigger part of our agency as a floater, or Center Support Assistant, for the HS/EHS program. In April while visiting with Family Advocate Ann Alford, Whitney decided to complete her DCF 45 hours and set a goal to become a Center Support Assistant with ECS. Whitney had also applied for apartment housing and was looking forward to her income tax refund to help her with transportation. Dalton also has been developing well in and out of the classroom. He was working on potty training, and using the potty more now, and even tells mom when he needs to go. With her determination to become more self-reliant and the encouragement she received from co-workers and family, we are very proud to report that Ms. Givens now has a valid Florida Driver’s License and her own transportation. Whitney said that she is so excited to be able to drive her car to work and take her child to school without having to depend on others. And, during the COIVD-19 pandemic, Whitney continued taking classes to complete her DCF 45 hours. She finished her classes and now she is Baker Complex’s very own Center Support Assistant! Now she is working on her CDA. Way to go, Whitney!
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