Shelters for abused women, children full

There has been an “influx of calls” to members of the managing committee of the Shelter for battered women and children since stay-at-home measures were implemented on March 22. Committee member Sherron Harford said two shelters have closed because of lack of funding, another is operating at 50 per cent capacity and the rest are full.

“We have not been able to take anyone else.”

Harford issued a statement on Thursday on behalf of the committee, urging both the public and private sectors to get involved.

“This is a national issue that requires a national solution and it cannot be short term.”

In a phone interview on Friday, Harford said because of the pandemic, many women and children are seeking asylum from abusive partners. She said the situation has been particularly hard on families whose jobs have been affected.

“In the beginning, it’s like a honeymoon,” she said, but quarantine conditions “put people in an emotional state.”

She said the committee recently had to reopen two bedrooms at one of the closed shelters to accommodate urgent cases.

It is unable to take anyone else. The shelters in operation need renovation, including plumbing, electrical and repairing structural damage, “but it is more than structural work,” she said. “It is about creating a positive atmosphere,” for the women and children who come into their care.

“Shelters need to be properly funded.”

Harford said the shelters receive a subvention of $90,000 per year from the government and the committee is responsible for raising the rest. She said government and the police have been addressing the issue, but she does not believe it is enough.

“Laws…and policing alone is not all that is needed,” she said. “More can be done. More should be done.”

In future, Harford said, the management committee would like to provide additional services such as continued therapy, including house visits, “preparatory therapy to break the cycle of violence” and “skillset training for adult residents.”

The shelters provide services such as housing, counselling, and legal aid. Children in the shelter s have been enrolled in online classes and are being supervised by a private teacher.

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