Carried to Full Term expands to give mothers a chance to get back on their feet

HAYMARKET — Carried to Full Term, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping expectant mothers, will expand.  

The organization said its new program is geared toward helping low-income mothers get back on their feet. Founder Frances Robin said the goal is to break the cycle of poverty by adequately preparing expecting mothers for a life of independence and self-sufficiency.

Carried to Full Term provides housing and support to mothers to support this mission. Prior to starting Carried to Full Term in 2009, Robin said she volunteered at pregnancy crisis centers. She noticed that there was a big need for housing for expectant mothers.

So, she set out to create options to find programs to place these women.

Carried to Full Term, located in Haymarket has space for six expectant mothers in the first phase of their program. Two mothers will be welcomed in the new Phase II. 

The non-profit partners with local housing programs to place women. In 2016, she acquired her first home and began providing housing for moms. Since its inception, Robin says Carried to Full Term has helped 32 mothers, and housed 18.  

“It was always a goal to add another home, but we didn’t anticipate receiving it so soon,” said Robin. An anonymous donor gave the home to the nonprofit. The second home is also located in Haymarket within walking distance of their first home.

The non-profit’s program is still evolving, but with this Phase II expansion will come with less supervision than mothers enrolled in the first phase of the program, allowing moms-to-be to live more independently before transitioning into a life on their own.

The program takes about two years to complete. Expectant mothers are required to sign an agreement to enter the program. They’re required to follow a strict schedule around the goals set with their case manager.

Robin said each mother is required to meet with their resident lead four days a week to review their progress toward goals.

Their schedule includes:

• Completing house chores
• Volunteering
• Finding a job

Mothers are also required to attend classes focused on life skills that range from parenting and financial management to Bible study and completing vision boards.

Robin says most classes are held in the home, while a few require the moms to travel offsite. Transportation is arranged for moms in Phase I to attend work and/or classes via volunteer drivers and Uber cards.

They’ll be required to pay rent and take on more responsibility for childcare and transportation.=

During Phase I, the mothers operate on a 9 p.m. curfew and usually have some downtime when their schedule ends between 5 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Robin says moms in Phase I are awarded one-weekend pass per month to engage in activities of their choice.

“Adherence to the program is the key determining factor to a mom staying at the home. It is completely dependent on her willingness to follow the program,” said Robin.

Phase II will also prepare mothers to exit the program to get them ready for the real world. In here, mothers will not operate on a curfew. In order to graduate to Phase II of the program, Robin says moms “have to demonstrate evidence that they have mastered the tools in Phase I”

The second phase of the program will help those mothers who have graduated the first but had trouble landing on their feet.

“With the cost of living in Northern Virginia, moms that complete the two years in Phase I are still susceptible to falling back into the cycle of poverty Robin,” says Robin.

The average age of program participants is 29 years old. Helping women change their thought process at this age can be very challenging, but those willing to do so see results, said Robin.

Carried to Full Term pre-screens all mothers before entering the program. Robin said those with felony records are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Those with a history of drug and/or alcohol abuse must provide evidence of completing or submit to completing a rehab program before being considered for the program. Robin said moms that are interested in working with Carried to Term simply need to call to begin the pre-screen process.

They will discuss the mother’s background to determine if they are a good fit for this program or more suited for another program. The next step would be a face-to-face meeting, following by an extensive application and background check.