At first glance, Circle of Security might sound like just another parenting class. But when you sit down with Fawn Horner, case manager at Vita Nova Maternity Community, you realize it’s something far more powerful—and deeply personal.

Fawn doesn’t come to her role as a detached professional ticking off checkboxes in a curriculum. She shows up with compassion, honesty and a belief that every mother deserves the chance to parent differently—maybe even better—than she was parented herself.

“I had good, attentive parents,” Fawn says. “But even with that foundation, I’ve made different choices in how I raise my kids. Parenting is about growing and learning. Circle of Security gives women permission to do both.”

Circle of Security is a relationship-based parenting program rooted in attachment theory. It helps parents become more attuned to their children’s emotional needs by first exploring their own. Through the class, Fawn guides residents in understanding what it means to be “good enough”—not perfect—and how that mindset can strengthen the bond between mother and child.

“There’s a lot of pressure to get everything right,” she says. “Circle of Security gives our moms a framework to forgive themselves, learn from the past and focus on building trust with their children.”

The curriculum walks participants through topics like emotional regulation, parent absenteeism and the concept of being a secure base—a steady presence children can return to as they explore the world. These conversations can be deeply moving. One resident, Fawn recalls, came to terms with having been emotionally unavailable to her older child during a difficult time in her life.

“She felt guilt,” Fawn says. “But she also recognized she could repair that relationship. That’s the power of this program—it doesn’t dwell on blame, it empowers change.”

As a mother of grown children herself, Fawn sees each session as a chance to evolve in her own parenting—and to share that journey openly with the women she serves.