Lisa* and her children were living in an unsafe environment with Lisa’s partner, who was prone to verbal abuse. One night, the words escalated to violence, and Lisa’s partner assaulted her. Fearing for her children’s safety, Lisa fled, though she had nowhere to go.

A Stanford Sierra Youth & Families social worker partnered with a local resource center to secure Lisa and her kids a motel room for the week. Mid-way through their stay, the social worker introduced Lisa to Tammy*, a Stanford Sierra parent partner. Parent partners are staff who have personal experience navigating the child welfare and other systems of care. They use their experiences to guide and advocate for families like Lisa’s.

Tammy and Lisa looked for more long-term housing, driving to a number of shelters, but nothing was available. The Stanford Sierra social worker also partnered with Lisa to research her network of family and friends. Most lived out of the area, but they found a cousin Lisa had been close with in her youth. The cousin had a small spare room with a bed big enough for the boys. With support and guidance from Stanford Sierra, Lisa and her cousin decided the boys would make a place for themselves in that room, while Lisa looked for a place for herself close by, until she was ready to take the boys back.  

Lisa’s parent partner Tammy soon found a space available at a program for women escaping domestic abuse. It provided Lisa a place to stay as well as support groups, financial literacy workshops, and other life skills classes. 

Lisa enrolled in the program and moved into its living quarters. She attended support groups and learned about personal finances. Through her ongoing talks with Tammy, Lisa began to understand the importance of cultivating a strong network of support. She formed friendships with other mothers in the program. She visited her boys often and showed appreciation for her cousin’s help.

Lisa thrived in this supportive environment and soon saved enough for a deposit on an apartment for her and her kids. She looks forward to providing a safe, loving home for them and to continuing to cultivate her network of friends and relatives. 

Thinking back, she says, “I felt so alone and afraid that night I left. I only knew I had to protect my kids. So many people have helped me since then.  My kids are safe now. It’s amazing.” 

*Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.​