Transition House, Santa Barbara’s only shelter for homeless families and children, has unexpectedly lost a portion of the funding we have relied upon for our Infant Care Center. As a result, we are in danger of being unable to provide licensed day care for some of its youngest clients. While the search for help goes on (the agency needs $40,000 by November 15th), the Center remains open for now.
“Low or no cost infant care is a critical tool needed by families to help them climb out of homelessness. You can’t find work if you have a child but no childcare. And you can’t pay for childcare if you don’t have a job,” says Transition House executive director Kathleen Baushke. “We are frantically searching for alternatives. The current economy makes that difficult, but the prospect of families returning to the streets and raising their babies in cars or campgrounds is not an acceptable alternative.”
However, the sudden loss of some expected funding for the Infant Care Center comes at a critical time, as Transition House is in the midst of constructing a larger center to respond to overwhelming community need. The new infant care center, which will double capacity to 25 babies, will not be completed for more than six months. To bridge this gap and avoid turning away infants in need, Transition House is working hard to secure other sources of funding for the Center. Transition House hopes that new sources of money from the community will be found to support current operations as well as expanded operations next year.
The agency recognizes that helping homeless families is a two-way street, says Baushke, but the agency needs to keep the street open. “Once a family can contribute to the cost of care, they do,” she says. “Consider the ‘Johnson’ family that lost work as a result of the recession. Mom and Dad were given free, part-time care for several months while they searched for employment. Both eventually found work and saved every dime they could for housing. They were able to move to an apartment and now are making a financial contribution to the cost of their little girl’s daycare.
Families that use it will continue to take part in case management and attend parenting classes, while also learning budgeting and money management skills. The Infant Care Center serves families living in the emergency shelter, as well as referrals from CalWorks and other social service agencies. Transition House’s goal is to provide support services necessary for working families to improve their income and eventually be free of public assistance.
The Center employs skilled and licensed staff trained to address the particular challenges children in poor families face.
“Children in this population often experience poor nutrition, health problems, and developmental delays at a higher level,” says Baushke. “Our Center’s high quality of care, coupled with case management, uses a team approach to offer parents the tools and support which are vital to breaking the cycle of family poverty and homelessness.”
The Center offers the same services to eligible infants referred to Transition House by other social service agencies and the County. Several months ago, the Center provided care to a disabled foster child whose high needs would be all but impossible to meet in any other environment. When he entered the Center, his circumstances were quite serious. His physical development and his ability to interact socially were greatly delayed. The progress he has made in these areas has been deemed remarkable by his physician, Center staff, and his foster parents.
In another case, the Center provided services to a client of Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation. The family risked homelessness when the family’s mom began critical chemotherapy treatments to battle cancer. Her weakened condition did not allow her to care for her baby full time. With the help of the Infant Care Center, the father in the family was able to maintain employment to pay the family’s rent while the mom could concentrate on treatment. As a result, her condition has improved and the family has remained in their apartment.
Transition House’s programs are designed with the understanding that a multifaceted approach which includes programs for children is required to arrest family homelessness. The sudden loss of income experienced by the Infant Care Center threatens the Center’s ability to continue to offer care for its homeless clients, thereby reducing the chance of homeless families finding work and securing housing.
