Hope in Action is a series to highlight the aspects of our volunteer work. Advocacy for a child, whether in child welfare, juvenile justice, or truancy systems, covers several activities from court hearings to visits with a child to conversations with parents. Each month, we share a story of small (or big!) moments from one of our cases that exemplify what advocacy can mean to children and their families.

A young mom in crisis

In a somber courtroom, amid the shuffle of papers and murmur of legal proceedings, Advocate Jessica* observed the mother of the newborn on her new case. She hadn’t met the young mom, Mia*, yet, since this was the first hearing since she’d given birth to her son, Kian, a few days before while incarcerated.

At only 17 years old, Mia* had experienced a significant amount of trauma, including time in foster care, human trafficking, and other abuse. After she became pregnant, she had to find a new home. Before she moved, she was arrested and placed in jail in Montgomery County.

Empathy in action

Now, Jessica noticed Mia’s devastation as she waited for the hearing to start. Wearing handcuffs and her eyes downcast, Mia cried silently. Jessica startled when she realized the new mother’s milk had come in and she was leaking through her jail uniform.

“It was obvious she missed her baby,” Jessica said. “I’m a mom—I empathized with her. I imagined how hard it would be to have given birth but not be able to feed and care for that child. It broke me.”

The state became the temporary managing conservator of the newborn so that Mia could have time to complete services and resolve her legal issues. After briefly meeting Mia in court, Jessica worked with the bailiff to ensure that Mia would be provided breast pads when she returned to jail. When Jessica arrived home, though, the image of Mia alone in court haunted her.

“I couldn’t get over watching a woman leak breast milk through her jail outfit and not having a child to care for,” Jessica said. “I kept imagining what she must be going through, thinking that it would be really hard.”

Jessica wanted to help the new mom while she advocated for Kian, and she had an idea. She called the facility and confirmed they would allow an inmate to pump breastmilk.

“I thought it might help Mia to have something she could do to care for her baby,” she said. “I could tell she really wanted to be a part of her son’s life even though she couldn’t be there physically.”

After getting permission from the facility, Jessica visited Mia in jail.

“I asked her mom-to-mom if she was interested in pumping if I could arrange it,” Jessica said. “I told her there was no pressure to do it. I made sure she knew there was no wrong answer.”

Mia immediately said yes. Jessica delivered storage bags to the jail (the facility already had pumps for nursing mothers). The jail refrigerated the bags and contacted Jessica when it was time to pick them up. For two months, Mia pumped milk, and the jail staff supported her with kindness and care. Jessica and her Advocacy Specialist coordinated the schedule to pick up the milk from jail and deliver it to Kian’s foster parents.

Feeling like a mom

This simple act of ensuring Kian had breastmilk helped Mia as she struggled with being separated from her newborn. She shared with her caseworker that pumping gave her the opportunity to contribute to her child’s well-being and helped her to “feel like a mom.” Pumping gave Mia purpose and hope while incarcerated, keeping her focused on Kian.

This act of nurturing not only strengthened the bond between Mia and her baby but also transformed the relationship between Mia and Jessica.

“She saw me as an ally instead of a barrier,” Jessica said. “She was excited to see me because she viewed me as part of her support system.”

The experience also shaped the feelings between the foster parents and Mia—the foster parents witnessed the tremendous effort mom was putting into providing for her child in the only way she could. The foster parents wanted to help mom and baby bond however they could. All parties, including the attorneys, worked together to ensure Mia had photos of Kian and one of his baby caps. Mia now sleeps with his cap at night.

Hope and Healing

As Mia and her team work to resolve her legal charges, she is completing her GED and taking steps for her and Kian’s future. The team of professionals, along with Child Advocates, is exploring housing options that could reunite Mia and Kian. The young mother recently shared a list of her goals with Jessica—all were centered around being a loving, available mother to Kian.

Jessica saw beyond Mia’s circumstances and recognized her own history of trauma. By understanding the young mother’s need to feel like a mom, however she could, the volunteer Advocate not only supported her in a practical sense but also restored a sense of dignity and hope. Her story is a call to action for all of us to advocate for those who need it most, to see beyond circumstances, and to nurture hope in every heart we touch.

*Names changed for privacy