Give the Gift of Hope 2026

At just 20 years old, Aaliyah is working to give her young son, Isaiah, a childhood filled with safety, love, and the support she so often needed herself.

After losing her mother as an infant, Aaliyah was adopted alongside her twin brother. Growing up, she experienced bullying and often felt overlooked as her family navigated other children’s significant needs.

At 16, she entered an abusive relationship and became pregnant at 17. While preparing to care for her baby, she was experiencing violence herself. She was a young person who needed protection, soon to become a mother determined to protect her own child.

Her connection with The Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse began at our Child Advocacy Center, where a family advocate, our facility dog Peace, and a multidisciplinary team supported her through the forensic interview process.

But her need for support did not end there.

After losing custody of Isaiah, Aaliyah faced months without seeing her little boy. At just 18, she was trying to navigate unfamiliar systems, understand what was expected of her, and find answers to her questions with very little guidance.

She knew she wanted a different life for her son. She needed support to understand how to build one.

“I need to do better for my son,” she said. “He deserves better.”

Her journey with CPCA continued through our Supportive Parenting Program. There, she found parenting education, encouragement, and a support system she could trust. Staff offered compassion and accountability, supporting her as she worked toward becoming the parent she wanted to be.

Aaliyah says she can tell CPCA staff about her struggles and decisions without fear of judgment. For someone who grew up feeling overlooked, knowing she has people she can speak to honestly—and turn to when things get difficult—has become an important part of moving forward.

She could ask for guidance, acknowledge challenges, and keep working toward her goals with people who listened and took her concerns seriously.

“This program made me actually try,” she shared.

With a trusted team beside her, Aaliyah began making changes for herself and her son. She learned that she could not change her past, but she could change the decisions she made moving forward.

She maintained a full-time job, participated in mental health services, and secured her own apartment. In July 2026, she graduated from the Supportive Parenting Program and was granted unsupervised visitation with Isaiah.

After months of separation, this was a meaningful step toward the future she had been working so hard to build.

Today, her journey continues. Through aftercare services, CPCA remains part of her support system as she works toward reunification. Graduation did not mean losing the relationships she had come to rely on. She knows she has people she can turn to as she faces challenges and takes her next steps.

“I want to do whatever is best for my son,” she said.

From her first connection with the Child Advocacy Center to parenting education and ongoing aftercare, Aaliyah’s story shows the difference consistent support can make for a young mother determined to break the cycle of trauma.

Names have been changed to protect the family’s privacy.