"I want to be that somebody"

Flower, who is from Samson Cree Nation, is a mother of three and has spent the last several years working with families through the Early Childhood Wellness Program. 

When she first meets a new parent, she keeps things simple. 

“I tell them I’m just an extra support for them and their baby” But over time, that support often becomes much more than that.  

For some families, Flower becomes someone they can text late at night with questions about their baby. For others, she becomes a trusted person they can open up to without fear of judgement. 

Sometimes, she becomes the first person who truly listens. 

“I always tell them there’s no dumb questions, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll find out for you.” 

That openness comes naturally to Flower because she understands what it feels like to navigate motherhood without enough support. 

“She changed my life” 

Flower became a mother at a young age. At the time, she says she was struggling with strained relationships, little support, and an unhealthy relationship. “I didn’t really have people I could talk to,” she shared.  

While raising her oldest daughter, Flower joined a home visiting program in her community called Samson Healthy Families. That experience stayed with her for years. 

“She changed my life,” Flower said about her own home visitor.  

The visits were simple but meant so much. 

Her visitor would come by once a week, bring groceries or grocery coupons, sit and talk with her, answer questions, and help her feel less alone during a difficult period in her life. 

“At the time, none of my friends had children, they were young and living their lives, and I didn’t want to put my worries on them.” Having someone who understood what she was going through made a real difference. 

“She helped me get out of that situation,” Flower said. 

Her home visitor eventually connected her to a cooking program through the band office, which helped her begin rebuilding her life. Years later, after hearing about the Early Childhood Wellness Program through her niece, Flower immediately felt drawn to the role.  

“It felt like a full circle moment.” 

She thought back to herself as a young mother – I wanted to be that somebody that somebody was for me.” 

Building trust through lived experience

Today, Flower draws on those lived experiences to connect with the families she supports. She understands that every parent’s situation looks different. Some visits involve attending prenatal appointments together or talking about child development. Others focus on parenting stress, relationships, mental health, or simply having someone to sit and talk with. 

“No two moms are the same,” she said. 

For Flower, relationship building is one of the most important parts of the work. She wants families to feel safe enough to be honest about what they are carrying. “I kind of step into that role for them,” she said. “Sometimes they don’t have a mother figure or an auntie figure. I try to be whatever support they need.” That often means sharing parts of her own experiences too. 

Flower openly talks with parents about things she learned while raising her own children, especially around asking for help and navigating stress. 

“I always tell moms not to be afraid to ask for help. As women, we tend to try and do everything ourselves.” 

Sometimes support looks practical – helping families access transportation, appointments, groceries, or community programs. Other times, it is much smaller and quieter.  

“I’ve told moms before, ‘if you want to go take a shower, give me the baby and go take your time,’” 

Moments like that might seem small, but Flower says they can mean a lot to parents who feel overwhelmed or alone.  

Watching families grow

One of the visits that has stayed with Flower most involved a young mother she supported for nearly two years. When they first began meeting, the mother spoke about wanting a healthier life for herself and her child. 

“She wanted to go back to school, get a job, move out of an unhealthy environment, and create a better future,” Flower said. 

Over time, Flower watched those goals become reality. 

The young mother moved into her own place in town, enrolled in school, started working, and left the unhealthy relationship she had been struggling in.  

During one visit, Flower sat with her while she talked about her busy schedule, schoolwork, and placement.  

“I started laughing,” Flower remembered. “I said, ‘Do you realize you’re doing everything you said you wanted to do?’” 

The mother looked around and realized she had accomplished every goal she once talked about at her kitchen table years earlier. 

“That moment really stuck with me,” Flower said. 

For Flower, the work is not about trying to “fix” people; it’s about walking alongside families while they build the life they want for themselves. 

Healing doesn’t stop with one generation.

Flower says becoming a home visitor has also helped her reflect on her own life and parenting. Growing up, she experienced intergenerational trauma connected to residential schools. “There were no supports back then,” she said. 

Becoming a mother herself helped her recognize how deeply those experiences had affected the way she responded to stress and conflict.  

“I wanted that trauma to stop with me,” she said. 

Through her work with families and what she learned through the program, she began having more open conversations with her own children. 

“Even though my kids are grown, they’re still my kids,” she said. 

Flower shared that she has sat down with her children and apologized for the moments she lost her temper when they were younger. Now, she says their relationship is built on openness, honesty, and communication.  

“That healing has healed me and my children, so hopefully my grandchildren won’t have to carry that anymore.” 

For Flower, healing is at the heart of the work home visitors do in communities.  

She believes that when families receive support early, it creates long-term change that reaches beyond one household. 

"That little drop of water"

Flower describes the work of home visitors as “a little drop of water in a big pond.”  

To her, every conversation, visit, gathering, or moment of support creates ripple effects that continue spreading outward. She sees that impact in the growing number of families signing themselves up for the program and inthe increase in community participation at events and gatherings. 

“I think people want connection again.” 

She also sees young parents reaching out because they want something different for their children.  

“A lot of parenting skills were lost because of trauma, addiction, and everything our communities went through,” she said. “But now young parents want to learn. They want healthier relationships with their kids.” 

Flower believes home visitors play an important role in helping families rebuild those connections.  

“If we’re there from the beginning, helping guide and support families in a good way, that can grow into healthier communities in the future.” 

Culture is also a major part of that work. 

Flower says reconnecting families with language, gatherings and cultural teachings helps strengthen identity and belonging for both parents and children. For her, the work is ultimately about creating safer and healthierfutures.  

Not just for one family. 

But for generations. 

"The dream job"

Flower describes the Early Childhood Wellness Program as more than just a workplace. “It’s a family program,” she said. 

Over the years, she has built close relationships not only with families in the community, but with other visitors and staff she works with.  

“This is the dream job; I wake up wanting to come to work.” 

One of her favourite parts of the role is watching children grow from infancy into toddlers and seeing them become comfortable and excited during visits. 

“Some of them call me Auntie Flower,” she laughed. 

For Flower, that trust means everything.  

Because at the center of every visit is something she understands personally: 

Sometimes all it takes is one person showing up consistently, safely, and without judgement to help change the direction of someone’s life.  

And now, she gets to be that person for others.