What Does Back to School Look Like at La Casa’s Emergency Shelter?
It’s an exciting time for our families as the kids look forward to being in the classroom and connecting with friends and teachers after over a year of closed schools. For our moms, in-person learning may come as a relief from the additional childcare and educational responsibilities taken on during virtual school. For all our families this will include a return to routines, discussions around safety planning and preparations for the new school year.
As summer vacation winds down, there has been a return to routines at the shelter. School year bedtimes are in place, meaning we’ve seen our mom’s doing their daily chores earlier each night once the kids are asleep. Families are going back to school shopping using vouchers from Community Thrift, visiting the St. Anthony’s Free Store and finding gently used items in our clothing closet. Backpacks are being filled with school supplies such as binders, pens, pencils and notebooks for all the students, including a donation of graphing calculators for high schoolers staying at our shelter. There is excitement in the air for the first day of school!
For many of the families in our shelter, this first day may be at a new school all together, bringing its own stress and anxiety to an already difficult situation. If the current batterer is the parent of the child, the child will be placed in a new school. If this switch is not possible or does not happen immediately, safety planning while at the school is done with each family. This includes discussing different routes to take, notifying the school of changes to emergency contacts, who is authorized to pick up the kids, ensuring mom has a copy of the restraining order and communicating with staff about any safety concerns while at school. A safety plan can be a powerful way for survivors to think through the specific things they need in their situation to stay safe. We’ve compiled a list of things to consider if you or a loved one is in an unsafe relationship.
For additional support, resources, and safety planning, call La Casa de las Madres’ 24/7 hotline: 877-503-1850 or text: 415-200-3575.
To everyone sending kids back to school, it is important to prepare for this change. While we may now have the opportunity for in-person learning, the pandemic is still very present and we must all continue to take precautions. Make sure to practice good health and safety behaviors such as handwashing and wearing masks. Prepare for what the first day may look like by rehearsing rituals such as before and after school routines, adjusting sleep schedules and establishing simple schedules for the school week. Have patience with yourself and your child as there might be some behavior changes associated with stress and anxiety. Make sure to take time to talk and share your feelings about these changes. Being clear and upfront in times of transition can make this process feel more manageable for everyone.