The Children�s
Place
Helps Kristin and Son Restart Their Lives
Kristin and Zion�s Situation
Kristin is a
single mom with HIV. After Kristin�s son, Zion, was born, she
returned to work quickly as possible to maintain her family health
insurance benefits. Devastatingly, Kristin�s husband had an
addiction problem that spiraled out of control. He was unable to
hold down a job. He was abusive. He stayed home with the baby every
day, and got high at night. Often he would come home and fall into a
deep stupor. Sometimes Kristin was unable to wake him in the
morning. And he was Kristin�s day care.
To compensate,
Kristen often used sick days to provide the day care. Her workdays
lost to his habit knocked the family even further into poverty. This
cycle exhausted Kristen mentally and physically. Compounded by the
HIV, Kristin�s health suffered more.
One night, after
being beaten, choked and threatened by her husband, Kristin fled her
house�no coat, no bag, no money, just her son wrapped in a blanket.
She flagged down a police car and they were taken to a domestic
violence shelter.
Afterwards, Kristin found a substandard and
depressing home daycare. It was the only one on the social worker�s
list for a child under 6 months. It cost $600 a month. More than
half her rent. Fully half of Kristin�s paycheck. Zion stayed there
for 2 months. There were 20 kids and only 2 caregivers. All the
kids were confined to two rooms. It was dark and depressing. The
house felt dirty. Often, at the day�s end, he had a soaked
diaper. Once he got a virus that landed him in the hospital after 2
weeks of fever and diarrhea.
How The Children�s Place Helped
At Children�s
Memorial Hospital Kristin learned of The Children�s Place and
quickly made an appointment.
When staff
counselor Janet Meyers at the Children�s Place placed Kristin on the
waiting list, a wave of relief washed over her. �The center was so
beautiful, clean, safe. The staff�helpful, professional, friendly,�
said Kristin. �I cried.�
�The Children�s
Place has made a huge difference in of our lives. My son enrolled in
the daycare program and we were assigned a caseworker who helped us
with �food, clothes, and counseling,� said Kristin. �The full time
nurse helped coordinate treatment with my son�s doctors at
Children�s Memorial for a condition that he developed due to AZT
exposure in utero. In addition, the Children�s Place also provided
me access to legal advice to gain full custody of my son and respite
care so I could take classes to earn more at work.�
Kristin and Zion Today
Today, Kristin no
longer has need for a caseworker. Zion is happy, healthy. Kristin
has a good a job and married a wonderful husband in July 2003.
�Children�s Place
has been the bridge that got me through a dark place to a
bright new world,� says Kristin. |