Emily*, Geoff* and their new baby faced an uncertain future when they were unable to find a place to live.
Where are we going to live? Where are we going to sleep at night? What if our baby is taken away from us?
These are difficult questions a parent shouldn’t have to ask themselves these when the doctor says, “You’re pregnant.” But for Emily and Geoff, this was their reality.
In addition to previously experiencing homelessness, they were both unable to work due to challenges from disabilities. Geoff had a rare condition that restricted his mobility, while Emily was living with an undiagnosed intellectual condition that often caused a high level of anxiety and limited her social skills.
Parents know how challenging it is to care for a newborn at the best of times. But imagine being a parent with limited abilities that make it difficult to work or provide a safe environment for your baby.
When their baby finally arrived, Emily and Geoff still didn’t have a secure place to call home. Their nights were spent in overcrowded housing, couch surfing and hotel stays—wherever they could find shelter.
Thanks to our generous supporters, MacKillop Family Services was able to help Emily and Geoff secure housing for a few months, while continuing to support them to find longer-term accommodation.
But as Family Worker Rosie* explained, the couple still had their worries.
“There were a lot of trust issues about me as a family worker coming into the home, and how they were going to interact with the baby in front of me. They feared I would call Child Protection.”
Rosie could see they both had a strong desire to be good parents. They just needed a little help to get back on their feet.
“When I first met the family, the baby was in a pram a lot. He had a bald spot on his head from being in environments that had unsafe surfaces to put him down on, which had caused some developmental delays,” Rosie said.
“Just getting them into this home and establishing trust and rapport with the family, in the last three months… the difference has been huge. Bub has a safe environment, the family now have a rug—he’s rolling, he’s up on his hands and knees, he’s scooting around on a walker now.”
MacKillop also worked to help Emily get a medical diagnosis of her intellectual disability. Because of this diagnosis, Emily and Geoff are now both receiving financial assistance from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
“Getting that support has given them the time and the space they need to relax, and work together as a family. Before receiving financial assistance, Emily only owned three T-shirts and three pairs of pants. This program has allowed her to use some of the funds to go out and buy a new wardrobe. This made a huge difference in her self-worth and self-esteem, which really helped with her mental health and her capacity to engage more with her baby.”
For such a long time, living on the margins had become an inescapable reality for Emily and Geoff. Dreaming of a better life was a convenience they couldn’t afford to consider. Day-to-day life was just about surviving.
But now Emily and Geoff have found something we’ve all needed at some point in our lives—hope. A hope that life has more to offer than just a series of ongoing crises. Most importantly for Emily and Geoff though, is the hope that they can provide a loving and nurturing environment for their child as he grows up.
The sad reality is that Emily and Geoff’s story isn’t an isolated one. So many other families and individuals across Australia are currently experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
If you have been moved by Emily and Geoff’s journey and want to help support other families experiencing homelessness, please donate today.
https://www.mackillop.org.au/get-involved/donate/support-our-work
*Names changed to protect privacy
