As another Mother’s Day passes, we are reflecting on the unique challenges and added trauma faced by women experiencing homelessness while also caring for their children.
For many women they become single mothers following a traumatic event: experiencing the loss of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or enduring domestic violence.
Wondering how they’ll keep their children safe, warm and fed while coping with the threat of loosing a secure home is a overwhelming responsibility to have alone.
Women are more likely to experience hidden homelessness which means they are more likely to live in unstable accommodation, refuges, sleep on trains or other less visible places rather than more visible rough sleeping.
The problem is that many women don’t seek the support they need for fear that their children will be removed from them, and the stigma and judgement can be a barrier to asking for help.
When parents are faced with the trauma of having their children removed from their care it can exacerbate existing challenges, such as poor mental health and substance abuse which can become a barrier to safety, independence and security.
This means the true scale of women’s homelessness is unknown.
At Julian House, we understand the unique challenges that single-parent households face. We work closely with our these families to provide long-term support in a non-judgmental setting so that these families can focus on building a brighter future for themselves.
‘One of my biggest goals in life is to make sure that my children don’t spend their adulthood recovering from their childhoods.’-Jayne*- a Mother staying at our domestic abuse refuge.
Why Your Support Matters Behind every statistic is a story: a mother fleeing with her children in the dead of night, a child redis
covering feeling secure after witnessing violence, and a family celebrating Mother’s Day in our refuge.
These stories of survival and resilience are only possible because of compassionate supporters like you.
What your donation this Mother’s Day can go towards:
£10 could buy a phone top-up card for a vulnerable female client.
£15 could provide an emergency baby pack of nappies, wipes etc for a mother in supported accommodation.
£250 could by a starter pack to help an abused mother and children into new accommodation. Escaping domestic abuse often means a hurried departure from the family home.
Demand for our services has never been higher, yet real-terms funding cuts from local and central governments are making it harder to provide the support that’s desperately needed.
