Teen Mom Profile: Francoise and King

Meet Francoise, Class of 2020, and her son King.

How old are you now and how old were you when you became pregnant?
I am 17 years old now. I was 15 when I got pregnant.

 

When will you graduate?
2020

 

What is your child’s name and age?
My son is King and he is 21 months.

 

Describe your child’s personality.
He is really goofy. He likes to make people laugh. He has a lot of energy. He loves books. He knows that every night we read a book. He’ll bring me a book when he changes into his pajamas. He likes the caterpillar book and truck and car books. He likes the touch and feel ones.

 

What did your life look like before you got pregnant? School, hobbies, after school activities, friends, family?
I went to school. I did volleyball, basketball, and soccer. I used to go out with my friends. We would hang out and go shopping. I was very sad. I went through a lot of anxiety because my parents got divorced. It was a really hard time. My mom and I had to move. It was a whole situation right before I got pregnant.

 

How did you find out about Florence Crittenton Services and why did you decide to come here?
My sister works at the capitol; she’s a legislative assistant. One of her coworkers told her about the school. My sister brought me a brochure. I gave it a try. I came to take a tour. I thought I really want to finish with high school.

 

How has Florence Crittenton Services helped you and your child?
I was really scared because I was so used to being at a huge school. Here it is such a small school and all girls. I thought maybe it was going to be weird. But once I came here it wasn’t weird at all. It’s very calm.

I love how the ECE Center takes care of my son. I love talking to the teachers. I like hearing what King does in his classroom and how they observe him. Without the ECE, I wouldn’t be able to do school. I tried doing online school, and it was too much because I had King at home and had to watch him.

I thought I would never have any friends again. I made really great friends here. The best part is that they’re also here to do school. We’re not just here to mess around. They’re all so fun. I like my teachers a lot. I like being close to my teachers. It’s good to have that relationship if anything happens, you can keep them aware, like this is why I’m not here for the test. The parenting classes are really good. I like how every Thursday I can bring King down to the classroom and play with him.

 

What has your experience as a teen mother been like?

It’s been good. I don’t think there’s anything bad about it, just that you can’t sleep at night sometimes. My son is that friend who’s never going to leave. He’s there and I love that he’s there. I’ve always been very caring. Now that I’m a mom everyone says, “you’re a good mom!” It makes me feel good because I want people to see me as a nice, caring person.

 

What were your goals before you became pregnant and what are your goals now?

I didn’t know what I wanted to do or be before. I was debating either being in the medical or criminal justice field. Now I have two goals. I want to get into the medical field. I’m going to be taking CNA class next year. I want to be a forensic pathologist. I think it’s fascinating to learn about the human body and that it can tell you how the person died. I feel like I have a lot of patience for that. Now that I have a son, I don’t want to be put in any danger. My second goal is to be a beauty influence. I’ve done my make up since seventh grade. It’s something I really enjoy doing.

 

What are your goals for you child?

I want King to be really, really happy. I struggled a lot when I was in middle school trying to find myself. I wasn’t really happy. I never want him to feel unhappy. Especially now because I’m really happy. I want him to get everything he wants out of life, because I know it’s possible. I want a bright future for him.

 

Do you have anything else to add?

My mom and I made a lot of sacrifices when my mom and dad got divorced. We had to move because we didn’t make a lot of money. We helped each other. And now we are back to where we were before, and I see the possibilities and that anything is possible. Once you go through things, it makes you realize a lot and makes you appreciate things more, every last second. You see the world differently. Being a mom makes you open minded.