Bright House Bonds

In the summer of 2023, Carla* and her children began their journey at the Bright House, a new chapter that marked the beginning of their healing and reconnection. Before coming to Bright House, Carla had been largely absent from her children’s lives, and the family had faced significant challenges. The children had missed an excessive amount of school, largely because their grandmother, who had been their primary caregiver, was struggling to care for both herself and them.

When Carla and her children began their first visitations, the Bright House staff could see the distance between her and her kids. But over time, something remarkable began to happen. As she started to spend more time with them, her transformation was nothing short of inspiring. Carla began to engage more deeply with her children. The smiles that had once been few and far between became more frequent, and with each passing visit, her confidence as a parent grew.

Where she had once remained on the sidelines, sitting on the couch while her children played video games, Carla gradually began to take an active role in their lives. She joined them in cooking meals, played board games, and spent time drawing with her youngest child on the floor. The laughter that filled the room became a symbol of the progress they were making together.

As Carla embraced the nurturing, healthy parenting styles we teach at Bright House, the impact on her relationship with her children became clear. Her increased engagement helped foster stronger connections, and soon, her children began seeking her out. They no longer retreated into the world of video games or electronics; instead, they wanted to spend time with their mother, to laugh and create memories with her.

The transformation in this family is undeniable. With the support of the Bright House staff, Carla and her children have built a stronger, healthier bond.

We are proud to share that in the Fall, Carla and her children were granted “at-home” visits, marking an exciting milestone on their journey toward reunification. While it’s always bittersweet to say goodbye, it is deeply fulfilling to see parents like Carla apply the skills they’ve learned at Bright House to nurture their families and build the foundation for a brighter future.

*The names of participants have been changed to protect their privacy.

About the Authors

Sarah Bachi

Claudia Williams

Sarah Bachi & Claudia Williams

Sarah and Claudia work together at The Bright House to ensure families have quality together. The Bright House provides court-mandated supervised visitation and family support services in a home-like setting.

A child enters foster care due to abuse or neglect, which is often caused by generational trauma, mental health concerns, stress caused by poverty, or the parent's substance use. These causes can be addressed, and the child can return home. More than 50 percent of the children that enter foster care in Chatham County are reunified with their families.

While the child is in foster care, quality supervised visitation is crucial to strengthening parent-child attachments and decreasing the sense of abandonment that children experience. Family visitation is linked to positive outcomes, including improving a child's well-being, less time in out-of-home care, and faster reunification.

Brightside Advocacy opened The Bright House – a supervised visitation and family support center – in February 2022. Parents develop healthy relationships with their children in a warm, home-like environment while participating in court-mandated supervised visitations. Bright House staff also provides parental coaching, referrals to community services, and case management assistance. ​