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I'M ORIGINALLY FROM YUMA, ARIZONA.
I MOVED HERE FIVE YEARS AGO WITH MY TWO OLDEST CHILDREN
TO BE WITH MY BOYFRIEND MIKE.
HE LIVED HERE WITH HIS MOM
AND WE STARTED OUT WITH BASICALLY NOTHING
AND WE BUILT OUR LIVES UP TO WHAT THEY ARE NOW.
WHEN THEY ACTUALLY SHOWED UP
AND I REALIZED I HAD A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITIES
AND STUFF THAT I HAD TO CHANGE.
I NEVER HAD CHILDREN BEFORE.
THERE IS A LOT OF STUFF THAT I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW.
Toni: I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS PREGNANT
ABOUT A MONTH AFTER I MOVED HERE
AND HE WAS EXCITED, BUT HE WAS REALLY SCARED.
I WAS STRUGGLING WITH WORK.
IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO FIND A JOB.
Toni: I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT TO DO.
I DIDN'T HAVE A DOCTOR HERE, I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING HERE.
A LADY TOLD US ABOUT PARENTING ARIZONA.
TONY REACHED OUT BECAUSE SHE NEEDED SUPPORT.
THE SPEX FAMILY CAME INTO THE PROGRAM,
CAME ON TO MY CASELOAD
AS A PRE-NATAL FAMILY.
THEY WERE EXCITED ABOUT THEIR NEW BABY.
THEY WERE CURIOUS ABOUT HOW TO START
BONDING AND ATTACHING WITH THAT CHILD
BEFORE THAT CHILD EVER EVEN CAME INTO THIS WORLD.
WHEN I FIRST SAW HIM COME OUT, YOU KNOW,
I CUT THE CORD AND I HELD HIM.
I WAS TRYING TO HOLD BACK TEARS.
AT THAT MOMENT
I REMEMBER LOOKING AT HIM AND HE WAS JUST...
I MEAN COMING FROM THE GUY THAT I MET
WHEN I FIRST MET HIM,
TO THE GUY THAT WAS STANDING NEXT TO ME
WAS A GREAT FEELING.
WITH HEALTHY FAMILIES,
WE GO IN AND WE DO DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENING
FROM THE TIME THAT BABY TURNS FOUR MONTHS OLD
AND FOLLOW THAT BABY
AS FAR AS THEIR DEVELOPMENTAL SCREENS.
Toni: SHE ALWAYS MADE SURE
THAT RUBEN WAS AT EVERY MILESTONE
THAT HE NEEDED TO BE AT.
Darci: THEY STARTED TO HAVE ISSUES
WITH THEIR PARENTING STYLES.
IT'S HARD TO BE A STEP-DAD
AND IT'S HARD TO BE A STEP-DAD TO AN OLDER CHILD,
SO SHE JUST HELPED TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS
AND HELPED GIVE HIM ADVICE
ON HOW TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
HE BECAME A RESPONSIBLE STEPFATHER AND FATHER
AND A GREAT HUSBAND.
Darci: THE GOAL IS TO GIVE THEM THE BEST START
TO BE A HEALTHY FAMILY.
THE FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE
TEND TO BE IN NEED OF FINANCES
TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THEIR HOMES.
Toni: WE WENT FROM LIVING IN A HOTEL
TO HAVING OUR OWN HOME,
BOTH HAVING FULL TIME,
GREAT JOBS AND A REALLY GOOD LIFE.
WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THEM.
Darci: FUNDING IS KEY BECAUSE WITHOUT THE FUNDING
WE CAN'T SERVE THE FAMILIES.
Sue: WE SERVE 50 FAMILIES A MONTH
AND WE COULDN'T DO THIS
WITHOUT THE ARIZONA LOTTERY DOLLARS.
Darci: WITHOUT THE HEALTHY FAMILIES
PROGRAM IN THEIR LIVES
IT WOULD BE A GOOD CHANCE THAT THE SPEX FAMILY
WOULD HAVE SEPARATED AND NOT SUCCEEDED.
TODAY THE SPEX FAMILY IS THRIVING.
THEY ARE BOTH EMPLOYED.
THE KIDS ARE ALL DOING WELL.
THEY'RE THRIVING.
I'M THANKFUL SHE WAS THERE.
I'M THANKFUL THAT THE PROGRAM WAS THERE
BECAUSE THEY HELPED US AS A COUPLE,
THEY HELPED US AS A FAMILY,
THEY HELPED US AS PARENTS.
THEY HELPED US TO BUILD A STRONG FAMILY.