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Childhood wasn’t easy for Heather Lazar. Problems at home led to her placement in foster care, which moved her from home to home as a teenager.
“I never really felt like I belonged,” said Heather, “Until I had children of my own.”
But even after the birth of her first son, she found herself in very bad relationships and made choices that led to the loss of her son to the foster care system in Florida. She turned to drugs to drown her sorrows.
Nine months later, she gave birth to a little girl and thought everything had changed – she stopped using drugs and fought every day to be the mother she wanted to be. When her daughter was eight months old, her apartment caught fire and they were homeless. She turned to family who took her in, but after being stable for four months, they moved out on her. Later, while living with her boyfriend and caring for his ailing mother, Child Protective Services (CPS) showed up, interviewed the family and removed her daughter.
“I was devastated,” said Heather. “I turned back to drugs and to drowning my sorrows.”
In a last-ditch effort, she moved back home to Western New York with the help of her aunt, her mother and a friend.
She began to look for help and found Catholic Charities and the Incredible Years parenting training program – a 12-week program that provides parents with supportive guidance to help them develop nurturing and positive relationships with their children.
“The Incredible Years was just what I needed to get on the right track,” said Heather. “Here I am two years later, drug free with three beautiful children, with the best support team on my side. MY Catholic Charities!”
“They have taught me so much about what a great parent I already was, and how much more I had to learn. Without them, I wouldn't be the parent I am today – I'm more involved than ever with my children and I know that when times get hard, Catholic Charities is only a phone call away.”
“Without Catholic Charities I wouldn't be who I am today, and for that I am forever grateful.”
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