This program contains descriptions of violence and mistreatment of children.

Viewer discretion is advised.

Support for this program is provided by the Weldon F Osborne Foundation.

The Schillhahn-Huskey Foundation.

And viewers like you.

Thank you.

Our show today will feature two nonprofits making a profound impact in their community.

One is dedicate to helping couples and families establish healthy relationships.

The other provides a secure option for mothers in crisis, ensuring their newborn's safety and well-being.

We're stronger together.

Chattanooga.

So stay tuned to learn more.

Welcome to Chattanooga.

Stronger.

Together.

I'm Barbara Mortar.

We're pleased to have with us Lauren Hall, presiden and CEO of First Things First.

This organization is dedicated to strengthening families through a variety of programs, fostering a culture of relational wellness.

Lauren thank you for joining us today.

So tell me, how did first things first get started?

Yeah.

So in 1997, there were some community leaders in the city of Chattanooga who said, we want to grow the economy of Chattanooga, and we want this to be a safe and vibrant city for all.

And, what they saw a the time was a bunch of research was pointing to high crime rates, substance abuse and, low job.

It all went back to families.

So when they looked at the family of Chattanooga, we had a really high out of pregnant or out of wedlock pregnancy rate a really high, rate of divorce.

And also there was a large lack of father involvement.

So those are three areas that first things first, we started to try to impact through partnerships and creating relationshi education and doing programing and things like that throughout the community.

We still have the same issues.

Yes.

You know but now through drug addiction and alcohol addiction an all of that into the equation, you guys are pulling data and you're really looking at the socio economic, the ecosystem, and you're saying there are certain zip codes, that this the data shows there's more work that needs to be done and is first things first, addressing that.

Yes.

That's a great a great point.

So we did a new strategic plan in 2023.

And part of that plan was to see what impact we wer really having in the community and where the needs were in 2023.

And the divorce rate has decreased.

Across Hamilton County, the out of wedlock pregnancy rate has decreased and teens across Hamilton County, and there's still pretty high rate of fatherlessness.

But what we noticed was most of those areas of of decrease were happening in middle to upper class families, people who had obtained higher education or had a higher household income, and so when we looked at some of the, you know, lower income, socio economically disadvantaged families, most of them aren't even getting married.

And there's a large majority of people who ar single parents, non-custodial.

And right alongside that, to your point earlier, there's a lot of substance abuse, a lot of domestic violence, a lot of crime.

And in those some some of those same areas.

And what we realized as we weren't really targeting those areas at all.

And it's not you know, that we didn't want to we just weren't offering those things in those communities in the same way.

And so we're makin a very targeted approach to help stabilize families in the lo income communities in our area.

And to do that, you mentioned the word ecosystem.

I'm going to play off of it for a minute.

Right.

So we started in 1997 just providing relationship education.

And that's exactly what we've said for years.

We do relationship education and that's it.

Well, we've expanded our services because in a low income community, we can't teach someone how to have a healthy relationship if they don't have a house or they don't have a job or they're struggling with something else.

Right.

So we've added case management to that.

And then what we also saw wa there's a large amount of trauma that's involved in our lo income communities with very low access to high quality therapy and mental health resources.

So we also offer therapy to all of the families who are in our programing, and we cover the cost of that for them.

Through a very well vetted and wide array of therapists that we have in our network.

On top of that every family is assigned a coach that they meet with one on one regularly that holds them accountable to building out relationship skills, to following through with getting that job or applying for school or whatever it is that they might meet with their coach about.

And we say that we'll walk alongside a family for up to a year.

Sometimes it's three years on average.

But that's our new system, that's our ecosystem.

So we do relationship education because we want our families to be healthy, but we know that they need more resources to really make that happen.

So how do you found these families?

Yes.

So we have many partner that help refer families to us.

And in some case we actually go to our partners.

So the juvenile court is a really huge partner for us right now.

DCFs and then we also partne with people like the Bethlehem Center, the partnership fo families, Children and adults.

We partner with mainly lower income elementary schools like East Lake Academy or, and Donaldson Elementary and really, there's a wide variety of nonprofits in the community that can refer people to us, or we go to them and provide programing actually in their facility.

And then sometimes we just get phone calls.

I mean, if somebody's watched the show and they said, hey, I have a problem they can call first Things first and we'll plug them in somewhere.

Yeah.

We don't turn anyone away, but we try to specifically target lower income communities right now because that's where, you know, the the emphasis needs to be on.

Yes, because there's the data.

So let's talk about dads making a difference.

Yeah, let's talk about it.

It's our longest standing program right now.

It's, Man, it's been 13 years since we.

Yeah, started in 2010.

And it's interesting.

It's evolved, but we just finished, retro perspective study over the last 13 years, and we help those dads really work on being more present with their child, but also understanding the valu they have in their child's life and understanding the court system, understanding, you know, the judge, sometimes they have to set a ruling or, you know, put something on them and and there's a reason behind it.

It's not just because they're mad at them.

It's not personal.

It's part of their job.

Right.

And through that program, we did this study.

And the number one thing we saw was that the men fel they had a community of support, and that community of support is what pushed them to make better decisions overall in their life, whether it was keeping a job or pursuing more time with their child, o just understanding their value and the role that they played in their child's life.

Many of the dad said they'd never had a community of support like that before.

That's what I was exactly thinking.

It was so a new concept for them.

Yes.

And the light bulb that goes off when you have that available to you.

And through that program, we've been able to build community with those dads.

So we really try to make sure that they have the community they need.

And it's lon term.

It's not just a program.

When you finish, you become part of a bigger pool of people who are breaking generational cycles.

Do you have one for moms?

We do.

Okay.

It's called Mend.

And it stands for Moms Embracing a New Direction.

We piloted it two years ago, so we're now in our fourth session, so it's relatively new, but dads making a difference started because there were so many warrants for arrest due to men being non-compliant on child support.

And two years ago, I got a call from one of my team members and he said one, there's more women on the docket this month than men.

And we went back and saw through the data wa there were more women than ever before that were losing custody of their children.

So that' when we decided to start Mend, and we found a lot of funding for a lot of people were behind it, saw the need.

And yeah, it's it's going really well.

We've had 15 wome complete the program so far and, they've either gained custody or increased custody of their children So that's a really nice.

Yeah.

And so they'l they've got that community also.

They have that in Manhattan.

Everything.

Do you work in the schools?

We do.

Right now we're only in two schools.

And that's East Lake Academy and Donaldson, because of the zip code in the area and everything.

And what do you do in the schools?

Yeah.

So we have a program called Epic Schools.

And we go there and we do workshops with the parents.

So yeah, we'll show up and usually we bring food because everybody likes food.

So we'll do muffins and chips and salsa.

And we ask them, what are you struggling with right now?

How can we help you in your parenting journey?

And they tell u we give them feedback and then, we do that multiple times throughout the year.

And then through that we're able to provide case management if they need it.

And also, one on one coaching and access to therapy if they need it.

And you work with th McAllen shelter, too, don't you?

We do with McAllen shelter for families.

Yes.

We are there on a weekly basis.

We have a full time educator and a case manager who works with those families and, rise and reset.

Yes.

You know, all of our programs.

I think we're breaking them all up.

Yes.

So rise is the relationship component.

It's for couples or couple who are in, or married couples or couple who are in a seriously committed relationship.

If they specifically go through one of our parenting programs and then they say, oh, I want to work on my romantic relationship, then they move into rise.

But also, anyone can be a part of rise, and it's the same ecosystem that we offer.

It's for education, coaching, access to therapy and case management as needed.

And then reset is a littl different, but it falls into the at risk category.

So reset.

Is there a partnership wit the Chattanooga Fire Department.

And we actually have Brad and Lydia Freeman.

They run reset and we help them with it through our curriculum and our ecosystem.

But they really focus o firefighter couples and families who need support because 65% of firefighters, their first marriage ends in divorce.

Wow.

65%.

And I would say that's the same for all first responders to a certain extent.

But the firefighters ar where we're starting right now.

Is it trauma related traum related substance abuse related.

In in just push me pull yo of not being able to communicate because the schedule is so difficult to be on and off and on and on.

I'll be honest, this program.

Oh my goodness what am I going to cry about it?

It's is a little special to me because my brother is a firefighter.

Okay.

Yeah.

So I have some special interests there.

I bet you do.

Yeah.

So on that note, yes, before we have the floodgates open up here, it's really.

Thank you so much for coming in today.

Yes.

And educating me and our viewers more on all the things the holistic approach that First Things First takes.

So thank you.

Absolutely.

Thanks for having me.

Up next, we'll have Carol Burton from Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

Stay tuned.

The following segment contains descriptions of violence and mistreatment of children.

Viewer discretion is advised.

Welcome back.

We're joined by Carol Berlin, Chattanooga coordinator for Safe Haven Baby Boxes.

This organization offers an anonymous and secure option for mothers in crisis who are unable to care for a newborn.

Carol, thank you so much for coming in today.

Good.

Share the story of how this got started.

Well, thank you for having me.

In 1972, a young woman was brutally raped left by the side of the road, and several weeks late found out that she was pregnant.

And, the question of whether she'd have an abortion or not was raised, but she chose not to pursue that.

Her family, as was probably usual at the time, decided to keep her out of the public eye.

And she delivered the baby in the hospital.

And at that point, the mother walked awa and left the newborn baby girl in the hospital.

Later, this young woman, who went on to be adopted into a family that lost her, as an adult, she was traveling in South Africa and came across a baby box program in South Africa where newborns who could be surrendered anonymously.

And she related it to her own experience, returned home to Indiana where she lived and said, why don't we have something like that here for young mothers who are in crisis?

Yeah.

So that was the beginning o the Safe Haven Baby Box program.

Monica Monica, Kelsey is responsible for the program and oversees it and tries to attend almost all of the baby box.

Blessings.

Oh that's amazing.

And we actually have one her in Chattanooga, don't we?

Yes.

We have one on Bonny Oaks Drive just off of 153.

It's firehouse number six.

Oh, okay.

And so this is a way for it to be anonymous.

But no, I mean, before you, I mean, yo could still go to the hospital, or you could go to a police station.

You, you know, and hand the baby over.

But that's not anonymous.

And a lot of time that they don't want to be seen, they don't want to be perceived.

And that's a difficult enough decision for them to walk away and leave the child because whatever their circumstances or physical, mental or whatever, but this is a way for them to do it anonymously.

Yes.

And that, that is part of the mission of Safe haven baby boxes.

The the program wants to provide the mother and the public with information about the safe haven law.

We want to provide the, the mother with a 24 hour hotline when they're in a crisis situation.

But we also have the safe haven baby box where the newborn can be left anonymously, safe and safely.

And that is critical because a lot of these new mothers are, quite young.

Yeah.

And if something happen to the baby, they can be found.

They can find themselves in a legal situation that you don't want to see a young teenager or a young woman in that kind of setting.

But more importantly, we want to prevent the abandonment of newborns.

Right.

And that's basically the mission of the safe haven baby box people.

Do you see a lot of abandonment?

There haven't been a lo of abandonment that we know of.

Ther certainly have been abandonment.

And in some parts of the country are seeing more than in the past year.

But the purpose is to make sure that there isn't.

I mean, it's this is a last resort situation for parents but to be honest, we don't know.

There have been babies, found by chance in dumpsters, but they were dead.

Yeah.

The program that started in Tennessee, started in East Tennessee.

Or the safe haven law started in East Tennessee because a 14 year old girl had a newborn that she left in a barn, and the baby died.

Two women in East Tennessee said this is unacceptable.

Yeah.

This was in 2000 that this occurred.

These young women took it upon themselves to approach the legislature and said, we need a law that is going to cover this and, and do something so we'll never have a baby found that way again.

So that's how the safe haven law came into being in Tennessee.

And the law basically says that there would be no incrimination against the mother the law provides some stipulations.

Excuse me if the baby is left in a safe locatio and that is described in the law A firehouse that has 24/7 coverage.

a variety of places that are listed in the law.

If the baby is lef there, if the baby is unharmed, if the baby is appears to be 14 days or less of age, then the mother will be protected legally.

Okay.

So that's the safe haven law.

It also provides for the safe haven baby box.

It's described in the law.

And that's a recent, entry, for Tennessee.

Yeah.

So it's a good thing not all states have that.

All states have a safe haven law.

But not all states allow for a safe haven.

Baby box in Tennessee is one that does.

walk me through a surrender.

What else is involved?

I'll tell you about our fire stations when we have a baby box installed in the wall of the fire station.

The person, the mother.

The law says the mother is the one to do this.

Okay.

Although it is anonymous.

The mother pulls up in front of the fire station.

There are no cameras.

You walk toward the baby box.

You open the door.

Inside the bab box is a clear plastic bassinet, much like you'd see in the nursery at a hospital.

The baby is placed in the bassinet.

There is an orange packet there that falls out.

The.

That's for the mother.

The packet contains information for the health of the mother because usually these situations occur when the mother gives birth outside of a hospital.

Yes.

And oftentimes by themselves.

So the packet has health information for the mother.

The mother places the baby i the baby box, closes the door.

The door locks.

The mother has 30 days to say.

I have second thoughts.

I'd like to reconsider.

But now we have the situatio with the babies in the bassinet in the box.

A silent alarm or an alarm goes off in the firehouse.

That the mother's not going to hear the, firemen respond, open the door, lift the bassinet out, and take care of the baby.

In the meantime, another alarm goes to an alarm company, which then goes on to 911 and 911 immediately sends an ambulance to the firehouse, where the baby is picked up, taken to the hospital, checked out and DCFs notified and the Department of Children's Services then takes over.

Then they take over and they take over.

But the mother actually does have 30 days in which she can come back and.

But if you don't, if she leaves it anonymously, how is she going to go back and say, I want my baby?

Well, she can probably identify the date and time that she left the baby.

But then we have DNA.

Oh.

That's true.

Yeah.

The reality is, in all likelihood, the person who's made this tough decision is not coming back to do.

And really, I think that's decision out of concern and love for that new term.

And there there are peopl who would say that's not true.

But to to do that takes a certain amount of courage to hand over this baby fo a life that's going to be better than what they think they can give it.

Yeah.

Because you don't know what the circumstances are for that mother.

Why are you so passionate about this?

Well, I think that story starts in 2010.

My daughter and her husband live in Vienna, Austria, and they had been married about ten years, really wanted a child and hadn't had one.

And they signed up for a adoption program through Vienna.

And, in September of 2010, they got a phone call from their social worker, and she said, a newbor has been left in our baby nest.

They call it a baby nest.

And, Austria has several of them across the country.

A newborn slept in the baby nest.

Would you like to come and see if this is your baby?

So, they they told me that.

And I thought, how can you think that?

It wouldn't be.

But they they went.

And.

Yes that was going to be their baby.

And I am so grateful to the person who made that tough decision.

Yeah.

To, to do that.

So today, their baby is, five feet nine.

He's a very handsome young man.

Bilingual.

Yes.

Comes to the space camp in Huntsville each summer and goes to the beach with his cousins who live here in Tennessee and, he's been a real joy in our life.

In 2023, Knoxville, which has several baby boxes, announced that a baby gir had been left in their baby box and it always gets a lot of publicity.

Yeah.

And I called my daughter and said, look, this is just happened to Knoxville.

And she said, mom, Chattanooga needs a baby box, and we have to make sure they get one.

Yeah.

So, we started talking and looking into it.

And even though she's a distance, the internet's wonderful.

She started researching it, put us in touch with the safe haven people.

We that was in November of 2023.

We started working on it.

We found ou how we would go about doing it and how much money was needed which runs about 20 to $25,000.

So we she started talking to her high school friends that she still has her and stays in contact with her, and a father of two who she knew from high school and has known for many years, said, tell me how much money you need and I will underwrite it.

So retailer was our donor.

We're very grateful for him.

The next step was to meet with, Fire Chief Phil Hyma and present our proposal to him.

So Laurie flew in from Austria and we met with the fire chief, plus a representative.

From the Knoxville area.

Yeah.

And sat down and talked abou it, and he was sold on the idea.

And he's been a wonderful work for us on this.

So it's taken, until November 2024 to get it installed.

And our donor has been very grateful.

It's a gift to the city of Chattanooga via our donor retailer.

Yeah.

And you'd like to see more boxes put in, wouldn't you?

In some of the, inner city areas?

Yeah, I think so.

I think there needs to be a box, perhaps in the Alton Park area.

And then north of the river there, the nearest box cost may be Rowan County.

Well.

Yeah, we are hoping to have one in Cleveland.

Our donor, who was born in Cleveland, has offered to to fund the one there.

And we've already met with that fire chief.

I love that, and the Rotary Club is interested in working with us on that.

Oh.

That's wonderful.

Yes.

Okay.

Are there volunteer opportunities?

Yes.

In in the way that if if the organization, a church or a group of people are interested in having a baby box, I'd be more than glad to talk with them about it.

And walk them through how we brought ours about.

And they would be I would put them in touch with the safe haven baby box people.

Okay, great.

Carol thank you so much for coming in and and sharing this with me.

It's.

I didn't realize we had such a situation here, but I'm glad that we have the baby boxes and hopefully we'll have more of them.

Hopefully.

Yes.

So thank you.

Thank you.

And thank you for joining us.

We hope you've learned more about the incredible and inspiring work being done by our nonprofits.

So tell us what you think.

Email us at.

Stronger at WTC tv.org or use the hashtag stronger WTC on social media.

I'm Barbara marty and from all of us here at WTC.

We'll see you next time.

Support for this program is provided by the Weldon F Osborne Foundation.

The Schillhahn-Huskey Foundation.

And viewers like you.

Thank you.