Free Hennepin County program helps moms suffering from addiction get sober

MINNEAPOLIS — In Minnesota, around 290,000 people are in need of treatment for addiction, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Some of those people happen to be women who are pregnant. 

An unconventional program is saving those babies and their moms. The program meets weekly in a Hennepin County classroom.

“It’s the reason why I have my kid right now,” Tara Weibenbach of Minneapolis said.

Sofia is her 12-week-old baby. Weibenbach has birthed 10 kids but lost her rights to nine of them as addiction took over her life.

“It was just going to continue to be the way it was until we did something. Then that’s when I was —  I give up. I gave up and got sober,” Weibenbach said.

She found respite at Project Child, a group for pregnant women who’ve been fighting addiction. 

“After just losing three children and having my rights terminated and finding myself pregnant again, I didn’t think there was hope for me,” Sarah Bruder said.

Bruder found hope at Project Child —  she got resources and got sober while carrying her fourth and now that little boy lives with her.

“He’s my little life changer boy. And I say that with a heavy heart because often I think about my other children and why couldn’t I get it together. But I’ve come to the realization that I didn’t love them, but it was because I didn’t love me,” Bruder said.

Dar Swanson is an instructor and leader at Project Child.

“Just because they become pregnant, doesn’t mean addiction stops. Addiction will stop at nothing so they need love and compassion and not to be judged,” Swanson said.

She says the results say it all. 

“Over the past five years, we have hit a 93% rate of women having substance-free babies, so that’s so exciting,” Swanson said.

Project Child is a free program through Hennepin County.