WACO, TX — The death of Frankie Sanchez and the arrest of his mother for the crime, has many people wondering how a parent can play a role in the death of their child.
While we don't know what stress or problem may have led to the boy's death.... we do know families in crisis have help in Central Texas to cope with problems.
Memorials at Cameron park honor the life of Frankie Gonzales, the young boy found dead a few miles away, and whose mother sits in the McLennan county jail.
The incident Started a conversation about what it means to be a good parent.
Sometimes that means asking for help.
Central Texas is fortunate to have places for parents to go to learn better parenting skills.
The Perez family of Waco knows good days and bad days, because children don't come with an instruction manual.
They've learned to cope with the bad times and celebrate the good.
But others of us struggle with with the obligations of family, and in Central Texas, we have places to turn for help.
"Care-net", specializes in families with children from birth to three years old.
Here, parents find people who know their struggle, and have
"I have a 4-year-old myself, so I know, it gets crazy and so we just want to teach them those coping skills that help them parent effectively," said Madelyn Humphries of Care-net.
In a classroom and online, parents can learn the basics of caring for newborns and toddlers, little people with minds of their own, who don't always do what we tell them.
Parents can learn tolerance, and strategies for "directing" children's behavior.
If problems persist, Care-net can handle that too.
"we also have case management where you can talk to our case manager or our family and child advocate and just talk to them about these are the problems that I'm struggling with, this is the area I need help with, how do I get through this effectively?" said Humphries.
Care-net even helps expecting mothers who have no place to go, with a residential program.
Care-net also stocks sometimes expensive food and supplies young families need.
As children get older, problems may get more complex.
That's where Starry Counseling steps in to offer help to not just parents but families with minor problems, to crisis.
"We do offer a parenting support class called nurturing parenting, that teaches some of those great parenting skills, And hopefully, using those skills, we can help take care of yourself as well as help take care of your family." said Leah Gorham of Starry Counseling.
Starry can also tailor individual counseling to a family's needs, helping parents, as well as their childtren, communicate better and function better.
And while you might think all these specialized services might come with a big price tag.
Truth is, they don't cost parents a dime.
"All of our services are absolutely free. We don't look at insurance or anything like that. So we see a variety of families from all walks of life ," said Gorham.
That means Parents, overwhelmed at the unpredictable little lives they have charge of, can find help with any issue under the sun, from anger, to discipline, and won't have to worry about how to pay for it.
The Perez family says they're grateful for these resources, because families form the foundation of our community.
Parents at Cameron Park hope others remember they have help available, so we don’t have to have any more memorials to lost children.
