Michał Parzuchowski for Unsplash.com
Since launching in 2017, Heart of Courage, a non-profit organization based in the Red Bird area of Dallas, has helped dozens of mothers reunite with their children in the Texas Foster Care system.
In a press release announcing its five year anniversary, organization leaders say that more than half of the 70 moms they have helped through advocacy, mentoring and education have been brought back together with their children.
“Heart of Courage is dedicated to breaking the foster care cycle that is often passed down through generations,” according to the announcement. “Families can become involved in the foster care system due to a multitude of issues, from housing insecurity to substance abuse or domestic violence.”
Founder and CEO Dania Carter created a 12-month, multi-step program to help mothers overcome their challenges and instill the personal responsibility, self-worth and courage to rise above situational adversities, she says.
“We work with mothers who have decided to fully commit to making the necessary changes to provide a better future for themselves and their children,” Carter says. “With the right tools, support, and personal dedication, these mothers are empowered to create nurturing homes, where their children can thrive.”
Through peer mentoring, court advocacy and career planning, mothers develop the skills and resources required to reunify with their children, according to Carter. The organization helps hold mothers accountable for the goals they set for themselves over four annual periods.
Heart of Courage’s mission not only supports mothers who have been separated from their children, but the over 9,000 children who are in custody of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Service. Heart of Courage is dedicated to supporting mothers, so more families can be reunited.
As of spring 2022, 11,000 children were in Dallas’ foster system, Dallas Family Protective Services reported.
To learn more about Heart of Courage and support family reunification, visit the company’s website at heartcourage.org.
