Finding the courage to ask for financial assistance brings hope

FamilyForward graduates Mom and Dad J were the guest speakers at our annual Giving Hope fundraiser on September 28, 2025. Their story is a heartfelt testimony about the powerful impact of FamilyForward on their family, and how finding the courage to ask for financial assistance changed their lives.

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FamilyForward program graduates Mom and Dad J were the guest speakers at the Giving Hope fundraising event on September 28. These married parents of two children in elementary school presented their heartfelt testimony about the powerful impact of FamilyForward on their family, and how financial assistance and mentoring changed their lives.

Facing unexpected challenges

Both Mom and Dad J were employed full time until 2020, when their jobs were reduced or eliminated during the pandemic. Shortly thereafter, their son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Son J is a highly intelligent person whose autism manifests in social and behavioral challenges, which made attending traditional school and daycare almost impossible. Teachers frequently sent him home early. Two different daycare programs discharged him because they could not meet his needs. The lack of reliable childcare prevented both Mom and Dad J from working more hours or advancing in their careers.

Because the parents are married, their household earns “too much” income to qualify for state assistance for daycare. And even though their son was called out of daycare more than half the time, they were still required to pay full price. At the same time, they were also paying full price for their younger child to attend daycare. Soon, the savings they had built up over many years was gone.

Finding the courage to ask for financial assistance

Mom and Dad J explained how difficult it was for them to reach out to FamilyForward in the first place. They had both been raised in homes where families were expected to keep their problems private, and neither one of them had ever been in the position of needing to apply for assistance from the government or from any private organization. Both parents have college degrees. For Mom and Dad J, it was a long and difficult road from first realizing that they needed help to finding the courage to ask for — and then to accept — crucial financial assistance and encouragement from outside their family. Once they did, they slowly began to find hope for a better future.

The FamilyForward rent subsidy allowed the J family to remain in their apartment and freed up some of their own money to catch up on bills and replenish some savings. Using FamilyForward’s debt-reduction matching program, the J family paid off several loans and eliminated significant credit card debt. Financial assistance with car repairs, park district programming, and gift cards gave the family even more breathing room.

Overcoming challenges, together

In their speech, Mom and Dad J explained how the nonmonetary benefits of FamilyForward were more profound than the rental help and other financial assistance. With guidance from their volunteer mentors, both of whom were present in the audience at the Giving Hope event, Mom and Dad J learned how to track their income and expenses on a spreadsheet and find ways to cut their expenses together.

Over time, they started having open and honest conversations about their individual and shared finances, a topic they had always avoided. Most important, their mentors gave them encouragement, moral support and validation. “Our FamilyForward mentors always made us feel like people and never like a statistic. They both really believed in us and cared about the well-being of our family.”

With a stronger marriage and renewed hope, Mom and Dad J continue to move forward toward their personal and professional goals. Their improved communication and financial foundation will allow them to meet the changing needs of their son and their entire family. Mom J has her eyes set on a higher-paying position at her employer. They plan to become homeowners in the next few years. And the future looks generally brighter for these caring parents. We are grateful to Mom and Dad J for having the courage and generosity to share some of their story with us.